Clinical Pharmacist - Ambulatory Care / COPD Population Health Program

About the role

The Clinical Pharmacist provides ambulatory pharmaceutical care services within the Rhode Island Primary Care Physicians Corporation (RIPCPC) ACO. The pharmacist is embedded within primary care practices and collaborates as part of the interdisciplinary care team to provide evidence-based, patient-centered medication management focused on optimizing medication regimens, improving chronic disease outcomes, and reducing avoidable healthcare utilization.

This position will support a pharmacist-led COPD population health program focused on high-risk patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including transitions of care management, medication optimization, inhaler education, adherence support, and early exacerbation intervention.

Responsibilities

• Functions as the medication expert on the interdisciplinary care team.
• Reconciles and assesses medication regimens for adherence, safety, effectiveness, and optimization of therapy to achieve desired clinical outcomes.
• Provides evidence-based, patient-centered medication therapy recommendations in collaboration with providers and care team members.
• Delivers chronic disease state management services with emphasis on COPD guideline-directed therapy, inhaler technique education, adherence monitoring, and mitigation of medication access barriers.
• Identifies and engages high-risk COPD patients through population health and care management platforms, including patients with recent emergency department visits, hospital admissions, or readmissions.
• Conducts transitions of care medication evaluations following acute care encounters and coordinates follow-up care with primary care teams and other providers as appropriate.
• Educates patients on medications, disease states, self-management strategies, and recognition of early COPD exacerbation symptoms to support timely intervention and reduce avoidable acute care utilization.
• Practices within established collaborative practice agreement(s) consistent with services delineated within the agreement.
• Collaborates with providers, patients, payers, and care management teams to ensure high-quality, cost-effective care.
• Participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of quality improvement initiatives and population health programs.
• Contributes to achievement of contractual and organizational quality goals, including but not limited to comprehensive medication reviews, medication adherence outreach, transitions of care initiatives, and gaps in care closure.
• Documents all patient encounters and interventions within the electronic health record and other required platforms while maintaining timely communication with interdisciplinary team members.
• Serves as a medication and drug information resource for patients, providers, and interdisciplinary care team members.

Requirements

• Must have advanced training and experience relevant to chronic disease management meeting one of the following qualifications:
• Successfully completed certification from the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties or completed an ASHP-accredited residency program in the area of practice.
• If the residency program is not in the area of practice, the pharmacist shall complete a continuing education certificate program.
• Holds a PharmD degree and has two (2) years of professional experience.
• Holds a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree and has three (3) years of professional experience.
• Practices pharmacy in accordance with laws, rules, and regulations of the Rhode Island Board of Registration in Pharmacy, Department of Public Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as established departmental policies and procedures.
• Maintains current unrestricted pharmacist licensure in accordance with the Rhode Island Board of Registration in Pharmacy.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ambulatory care, population health, or chronic disease management experience preferred.
• Experience managing respiratory disease states including COPD and asthma preferred.
• Experience working as part of interdisciplinary care teams.
• Experience utilizing electronic health records, population health platforms, and reporting tools.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, Outlook, and web-based systems.