Clinical Pharmacist Oncology Preferred Full time Days

The Clinical Pharmacist reflects the mission, vision, and values of Northwestern Medicine, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines, and regulatory and accreditation standards.

About the role

The Clinical Pharmacist is responsible for identifying, preventing, and/or resolving medication-related problems; providing authoritative information to other healthcare professionals, patients, and the public; and assuring that the informational, clinical, and drug distribution components of pharmacy services function as an integrated system to provide patient-centered care.

The mission of the Department of Pharmacy is to deliver the safest, highest quality, most effective and efficient patient care while developing the best people, advancing research, and integrating pharmacy services to successfully coordinate care across the Northwestern Medicine enterprise. The vision is to be recognized as a national leader in advancing the pharmacy enterprise through excellence, innovation, education, and research.

Responsibilities

• Interprets medication orders to ensure safety and proper use of medications, alert to compatibilities, incompatibilities, medication duplication, medication allergies, and potential medication administration errors.
• Coordinates the solving of medication-related problems between pharmacy, nursing, and prescribers, demonstrating initiative and sound judgment.
• Monitors medication therapy for significant drug-drug, drug-diet, or drug-laboratory test interactions; intervenes in cases of significant interactions, therapeutic duplications, or other occasions requiring pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetic expertise.
• Evaluates and documents that the medication(s) selected are appropriate for achieving the desired therapeutic outcome; communicates potential problems and solutions to the prescriber.
• Acts as a consultant in pharmacokinetics and adverse reactions to physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.
• Participates in all therapeutic drug monitoring or intervention programs, adjusting therapy as indicated by patient condition and laboratory results.
• Processes all medication order information into the Electronic Health Record to ensure accuracy of records regarding past, current, and future dispensing and charging.
• Maintains a comprehensive pharmacy patient profile, including age, maturation, weight, allergies, diagnosis, estimated and actual pharmacokinetic parameters, and pertinent information affecting medication therapy decisions.
• Oversees the packaging, labeling, and distribution of medications for all patients and employees according to established policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Monitors the use of scheduled medications on nursing units and maintains controlled inventories of medication in dispensing areas.
• Compounds and dispenses pharmaceuticals, including sterile products, chemotherapy, and parenteral nutrition products.
• Verifies medication orders before delivery to patient care areas and ensures accuracy and completeness; resolves discrepancies as necessary.
• Reviews all laboratory data for appropriateness of medication use and recommends changes when needed, including microbial culture and sensitivity data, toxicology, and therapeutic drug monitoring.
• Develops and presents orientation, education, and training programs for medical, nursing, hospital, and pharmacy staff; assists in educating pharmacy students, residents, and fellows.
• Educates patients and their families about specific medications.
• Responds to emergency situations to assist with medication management (e.g., cardiac arrests).
• Provides accurate and timely medication information and teaching to healthcare professionals or patients.
• Maintains the hospital formulary and acts to limit medication usage to formulary items when appropriate.
• Documents all clinical activities and interventions performed; collects data, maintains logs, records, and other documentation as required by the department.
• Communicates professional knowledge effectively in both oral and written forms to patients and other health professionals.
• Participates in quality improvement and medication use review activities of the department.
• Organizes, prioritizes, and plans workload within given time constraints.
• Works cooperatively with fellow pharmacists to oversee and direct the activities of the work area, assign work to technicians, and ensure department objectives are accomplished.
• Reviews restocking of automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) throughout the hospital and resolves any problems.
• Ensures compliance with hazardous waste collection and disposal procedures.
• Maintains proficiency and expertise in area(s) of practice through continuous professional development.
• Performs all other job duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Active Clinical Pharmacist license in the state of Illinois (IDFPR).
• Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy or a Doctor of Pharmacy Degree.
• Preferred: Training and knowledge of specialty areas (neonatology, critical care, oncology, etc.).
• Preferred: Completion of a pharmacy residency program or equivalent hospital pharmacy experience.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Benefits include:

• Tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness.
• 401(k) matching.
• Lifecycle benefits.

Visit our Benefits section to learn more.