Pharmacists as Future Approved Clinicians
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploration of the Views of Healthcare Professionals Working in a Mental Health Trust in England on Pharmacists as Future Approved Clinicians
IRAS ID
276141
Contact name
Richard Keers
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
2019-8199-12704, UREC
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 28 days
Research summary
In 2007 an amendment to the Mental Health Act 1983 meant that in addition to medical practitioners, various non-medical professionals could now qualify as approved clinicians (ACs); these included social workers, mental health and learning disability nurses, clinical psychologists and occupational therapists. As ACs these professionals could then take on roles of clinical leadership whilst being ultimately responsible for patients under their care.
Mental health pharmacists work alongside the above mentioned professionals within multidisciplinary teams in mental health trusts caring for patients. Despite their highly evolved roles, competencies and skills developed over the years, pharmacists are still not included among these professionals to become ACs and there is a paucity of research on pharmacists to be considered as ACs.This novel research hence aims to answer the following questions:
1. What are the views of various healthcare professionals working in a mental health trust in England on the role of non-medical approved clinicians (ACs)?
2. What are the attitudes of these healthcare professionals towards pharmacist being enabled, via a legislative change, to carry out this role in the future?In order to answer the above research questions, up to 15 participants, including pharmacists as well medical and non-medical approved clinicians working in one mental health trust in England will be invited to participate in one hour-long interview each. The invitations will be sent via the trust’s internal email and the interviews will be conducted by the researcher on trust premises over a period of up to five months.
REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A