Clinical Pharmacist Critical Care

About the role

The Clinical Pharmacist Pediatric Critical Care is a licensed Pharmacist responsible for ensuring optimal drug therapy by designing therapy, monitoring, and dispensing medications following standard operating procedures (SOPs), ACLS, PALS, and USP guidelines. Serves as a medication expert and directs the work of support staff including Pharmacy Technicians. Responsible for ensuring medication management abides by hospital, state, and federal requirements. Manages the daily pharmacy workload within the Pediatric ICU and Neonatal ICU, and is able to cross-cover as the Pharmacist across all hospital departments and the Central Pharmacy as needed.

Responsibilities

• Verifies and checks prescriptions/orders adhering to safe medication dispensing practices. Reviews prescription order for accuracy and completion. Provides medication evaluation during verification, considering patient-specific factors, potential for adverse drug reactions, and Drug-Drug/Drug-Disease interactions.
• Assesses and optimizes drug therapy by designing medication therapies that meet patient-specific needs. Develops, reviews, assists, and maintains various protocols and regimens in collaboration with members of the Pediatric Intensive Care Department and Neonatal Intensive Care Department (and other departments as needed) as recommended by evidence-based practice. Utilizes the facility formulary whenever possible to ensure cost-effective care. Provides drug information education to patients or their caregivers as needed.
• Mentors and assists in training, including but not limited to: Pharmacists, Interns, and residents within the PICU and NICU. Teaches and instructs pharmacy and other multidisciplinary staff on relevant treatment populations such as ECMO, CRRT, parenteral nutrition, and related critical care disease states, including preparation, treatment, and ongoing monitoring of medications involved.
• Rounds with the Pediatric Intensive Care Team and Neonatal Intensive Care Team. Provides perpetual monitoring of assigned patients through chart investigation and discussion within the healthcare team (including the patient, patients’ family members, and other healthcare professionals) to identify potential for and/or remediation of drug therapy.
• Manages the daily pharmacy workload within the PICU and NICU. Directly supervises the work of pharmacy staff (technicians, students, residents, and/or interns) throughout the shift to ensure safe and accurate preparation, dispensing, and delivery of medications to meet patient care needs and both federal and state regulations. Knowledgeable of all standard operating procedures (SOPs) governing the work of pharmacy staff to mitigate harm to patients and staff.
• Accurately documents the monitoring of medication, medication management, potential adverse drug reactions, and similar outcomes through interventions in the electronic health record (e.g., EPIC, DoseEdge, Omnicell). Maintains documentation compliant with state and federal drug control laws.
• Inspects medication storage and prep areas outside of the Pharmacy throughout the hospital monthly. Raises any concerns identified to Nurse leadership and Pharmacy leadership. Identifies medication or operational-related issues that require remediation and escalates them to a direct manager.
• May contribute to the process of adding new Pediatric ICU and Neonatal ICU therapies (medications, blood products, or similar therapies) and treatment modalities to the formulary through involvement with the P&T committee via development of presentations, education, and monographs.
• May function as a Charge Pharmacist as needed.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• State of Connecticut Pharmacist License (Required).
• Board certification in area of specialty (Preferred).
• Advanced training/certification in area of specialty (Preferred).

Qualifications

• Education and/or Experience Required:
  • BS degree in Pharmacy.
• Education and/or Experience Preferred:
  • PharmD.
  • Experience as a Hospital Pharmacist.
  • Completion of PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency.
  • Completion of PGY2 Pediatric Pharmacy Practice Residency.

Skills

• Knowledge:
  • Medications, their doses, indications, monitoring parameters, potential risks, and contraindications considering both drug-drug and drug-disease interactions.
  • Medication preparation and delivery process.
  • Common disease states affecting pediatric populations and their risks and treatments.
• Skills:
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving.
  • Utilizing available resources such as medication and/or disease-related guidelines to answer questions and/or guide patient therapy to ensure optimal care.
  • Teaching and learning.
• Abilities:
  • Appropriately assess and manage competing priorities.
  • Collaborate in an interdisciplinary environment with individuals of varying levels of education, healthcare experience, and licensure.
  • Show empathy and support others within the work environment.
  • Communicate clearly both orally and in writing.

About Us

Connecticut Children’s is the only health system in Connecticut that is 100% dedicated to children. Established on a legacy that spans more than 100 years, Connecticut Children’s offers personalized medical care in more than 30 pediatric specialties across Connecticut and in two other states. Our transformational growth establishes us as a destination for specialized medicine and enables us to reach more children in locations that are closer to home. Our breakthrough research, superior education and training, innovative community partnerships, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion provide a welcoming and inspiring environment for our patients, families, and team members. At Connecticut Children’s, treating children isn’t just our job – it’s our passion. As a leading children’s health system experiencing steady growth, we’re excited to expand our team with exceptional team members who share our vision of transforming children’s health and well-being as one team.