Hospital Pharmacist
Vol 12 No 5 p165
May 2005

News summary

Consultant level pharmacist practice approved by DoH

Consultant pharmacist posts can now be introduced following the publication by the Department of Health of guidance for the development of these roles. A small number of pharmacists already hold posts described as a consultant, and the title is now given official recognition and a process for approving posts and candidates has been put in place (see Pharmaceutical Journal 2005;274:409).

The consultant posts will be structured around four main functions: expert practice; research, evaluation and service development; education, mentoring and overview of practice; and professional leadership.

The Agenda for Change profile for the consultant pharmacist post has been published and is located in bands 8b, 8c and 8d. Many of the job evaluation levels are similar to the pharmacist team manager, although freedom to act and responsibility for research and development are broadly higher for the consultant. The full job profile is included in the guidance.

The guidance includes a competency framework for the role which decribes the consultant as someone who is sought as an opinion leader both within the organisation and in the external environment. The framework also states that a consultant will demonstrate active participation in creating national health care policies.

The announcement was supported by Helena Hodges, senior pharmacist education and training and teacher practitioner at Bath Royal United Hospital NHS Trust and chair of the UK Clinical Pharmacy Association. She said, “I believe that the development of the consultant pharmacist role will enable clinical pharmacists to maintain their practice base without the need to enter into the world of management to progress their careers.” She also thought that it was important that patients and other stakeholders become aware of the status of consultant pharmacists and realise that they are not just self-appointed advisors.

Anna Murphy, who works at University Hospital of Leicester NHS Trust, already holds the title of consultant respiratory pharmacist. She welcomed the Department of Health’s recognition of consultant level practice in pharmacy. Her post will now be reviewed by the local strategic health authority to ensure that it meets the guidance for an official consultant pharmacist post. She spends about 50 per cent of her time on clinical practice and is involved in research — she is currently undertaking a doctorate degree — and is confident that her post will be approved.

Ms Murphy commented, “When the consultant nurse posts were introduced, many specialist nurses were given the title of consultant without really demonstrating their ability to perform at a higher level. The competency framework for consultant pharmacists will make the post harder to get, but there will be a more consistent high standard among practitioners.”