Congratulations to Chris Johnson on successfully credentialing with the College.
Chris Johnson’s role is Specialist Mental Health and Advanced General Practice Pharmacist, Primary Care in Pharmacy Services, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Specialist interest in mental health
Chris considers himself as a generalist with a specialist interest in mental health. His current health board role is mixed, involving:
- pharmacist-led patient facing clinics based in general practice
- primary-secondary mental health interface activities, for example guideline development
- education - teaching, mentoring, coaching pharmacy colleagues
- mental health and pharmacy practice health services research mainly focused on primary care.
In 2023, he was awarded the NHS Research Scotland Career Research Fellowship allowing for protected research time.
As a generalist Chris considers mental health an inseparable component of routine general practice. Over the years, in his routine work, he has worked to support pharmacy colleagues to engage with and better support people experiencing mental health challenges in general practice. His mental health pharmacy interests over the years have been led and directed by patients. They include but are not limited to: treatment and management of depression, benzodiazepine reduction and withdrawal, and physical health for people receiving antipsychotic medicines.
Going through the credentialing process
We asked Chris to comment on what motivated him to go through credentialing. He said: “For me it was the challenge, questioning and reflecting on my practice. While I may think I am competent, and delivering a high standard of mental health pharmacy care - was I? Therefore for me it was/is a key method of being assessed and critiqued by specialist colleagues, to assure competence in delivering a high standard of mental health pharmacy care. Successful credentialing for me also validated my job title of 'specialist', and more importantly for me affirmed my capabilities when influencing and supporting other health care professionals and the people I am caring for.
Foundation Certificate success
We also celebrate the acheivements of James Quigley and Vicky Richmond-Davies who have passed their Foundation Certificate with the CMHP recently.
James Quigley works at the Western Health and Social Care Trust in Northern Ireland. Vicky Richmond-Davies works at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
The foundation certificate assesses professionals use and application of knowledge within common mental health conditions. Passing the certificate shows through the successful completion of recognised mental health courses and examination of that knowledge through a Viva, that candidates have a good understanding of the management of these conditions and that they are using this knowledge to share learning and improve patient care.
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