Qualitative interviews exploring the views of healthcare professionals working in a mental health trust in England on pharmacists as future approved clinicians

Abstract

Background: the Mental Health Act 1983 was amended in 2007 introducing the role of the Approved Clinician (AC) which could be assumed by individuals from several professional groups. Although the role of mental health pharmacists have undergone significant transformation over the past few decades, pharmacists remain ineligible to train and practise as an AC. There is a paucity of research on non-medical ACs and there are currently no known studies exploring the potential of mental health pharmacists to be considered for the role of AC in future.

Aim: this qualitative research explored the views and attitudes of a range of healthcare professionals towards the role of the mental health pharmacist, and whether they could and/or should be enabled, via a legislative change, to become ACs in the future.

Method: recruitment based on systematic purposive sampling principles took place at one mental health trust in England. Six pharmacists, five medical ACs and two experienced mental health nurses participated in digitally audio-recorded semi-structured interviews between June-November 2020. The recordings were transcribed verbatim before being inductively coded and thematically analysed.

Results: notwithstanding the wide recognition among participants of several key skills possessed by mental health pharmacists, various obstacles were also identified to their becoming ACs in future, including prevalent conventional models of pharmacy services delivery restricting adequate patient access, as well as insufficient training opportunities to acquire advanced clinical skills particularly in diagnosis and assessment. Participants also highlighted wider concerns with current uptake of the non-medical AC role which could influence the success of pharmacists’ involvement, including legislative restrictions and a lack of perceived training support.

Conclusion: changes to the skill mix within multidisciplinary mental health teams as well as to the training of staff may be required to equip pharmacists with essential skills to be able to transition towards the AC role. Further research is required to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing the clinical development and enhanced utilisation of highly specialised mental health pharmacists across services.

More information

Identifiers

ORCID for Balazs Adam: orcid.org/0000-0003-4764-5829

Catalogue record

Export record

Altmetrics