Clinical Pharmacist Specialist

About the role

Ensures safe, appropriate, cost-effective medication therapies for patients according to evidence-based medicine and following established policies, procedures, and protocols.

Responsibilities

• Rounds daily on all Med Surg patients and other patients as appropriate; may round individually, with Physician, or as part of multidisciplinary team.
• Provides drug information to patients, their families, and health care providers.
• Reviews electronic medical record for each patient daily and evaluates drug therapy.
• Monitors drug therapy regimens for contraindications, drug/drug interactions, drug/food interactions, allergies, and appropriateness of drug and dose.
• Writes Pharmacist Note on each patient every day; contacts prescriber to make changes if needed.
• Interprets medication orders (verbal, written, or computer) and transcribes to computerized patient medication profiles accurately or verifies electronic orders.
• Assists with pharmacokinetics consults and drug dosing per organizational protocol.
• Performs antimicrobial stewardship activities by reviewing and interpreting culture and susceptibility data for antibiotic appropriateness and recommends changes as needed.
• Detects and reports suspected adverse drug reactions accurately and in a timely manner.
• Documents all clinical activities and interventions accurately and completely.
• Participates in quality improvement and medication use review activities; collects data, conducts quality monitors and inspections, and maintains logs, records, and other documentation as assigned.
• Participates in the Palliative Care team and other collaborative groups as assigned.
• Develops and presents orientation, education, and training programs to pharmacy, medical, nursing, and other staff; works with pharmacy and other students as assigned.
• Performs medication reconciliations on admission and/or discharge; verifies home medications; checks student/intern/pharmacy technician entries and writes related Pharmacist Notes; contacts retail pharmacies to arrange discharge meds as needed.
• Sustains the formulary by minimizing nonformulary procurements, utilizing therapeutic substitution protocols, and promoting rational drug therapy selection.
• Prepares and dispenses medication orders per physician request according to established policies, procedures, and protocols; compounds and dispenses pharmaceuticals, including sterile, hazardous, and parenteral nutrition products accurately.
• Issues controlled substances to patient care areas and maintains records as required by law.
• Supervises and directs pharmacy support personnel; verifies daily activities of pharmacy technicians; participates in performance appraisals if requested.
• Works independently with minimal supervision; organizes and prioritizes work assignments; ensures pharmacy services are provided in a timely manner.
• Completes and documents inspections of medication storage areas at least monthly if assigned; identifies and replaces outdated and unusable drugs.
• Answers telephone within 3 rings, identifies self and department, directs calls to appropriate personnel, and answers requests at the window.
• Keeps pharmacy areas and equipment clean, neat, and well organized.
• Performs essential duties of Pharmacy Manager in his/her absence.
• Follows USP 797 and USP 800 regulations for sterile compounding and handling of hazardous drugs when implemented.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to work independently with minimal direct supervision.
• Ability to work cooperatively with health care team and pharmacy staff.
• Ability to handle frequent interruptions and adapt to changes in workload and work schedule.
• Ability to set priorities, make critical decisions, and respond quickly to emergency requests.
• Ability to exercise sound professional judgment.
• Ability to communicate effectively (orally and in writing).
• Ability to meet the pharmaceutical care needs of neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, geriatric, psychiatric, oncology, obstetric, chemically dependent, rehabilitation, and skilled-nursing patients.