Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Medication Use Management

Position Summary

Responsible for the provision of pharmaceutical care at West Virginia University Hospitals through involvement in direct patient care, operational, education and administrative activities, and assumes a leadership role in the profession of pharmacy.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitors drug therapy of patients by participating in medical rounds or routinely evaluating the patient's medication regimen, medical problems, laboratory data, and special procedures.
• Provides leadership and care for patients in assigned areas of responsibility; guides providers and patients on the best practices and established guidelines for care and assures safe and effective use of drugs through clinical involvement.
• Assists nursing and other disciplines or departments in admission and discharge planning and patient education related to the appropriate use of medication.
• Provides drug information and educational programs to the medical and nursing staffs, other health care practitioners, and pharmacy staff.
• Maintains professional competence by attending and presenting at conferences, continuing educational programs, reading current professional literature and publishing clinical or practice-related experience or research.
• Participates in administrative, quality assurance, performance improvement, and clinical research activities within the department.
• Participates in medication use evaluations.
• Reviews each order to verify and confirm accuracy and appropriateness.
• Evaluates compliance with established medication safety procedures.
• Offers suggestions to improve medication safety based on best practice (i.e. ISMP).
• Routinely documents medication errors, unsafe conditions, or near misses.
• Promotes an environment with a constant focus on medication safety.
• Dispenses medications from the provider's order.
• Ensures that policies and procedures related to drug distribution are followed.
• Responsible for drug use control in assigned service areas.
• Identifies problems related to aspects of drug use control and offers constructive ideas for resolution.
• Assumes responsibility for and makes decisions related to the provision of pharmaceutical services in assigned service area.
• Detects, reports, and helps to minimize or manage adverse drug reactions and medication errors.
• Participates in the management of acute and chronic disease states, medical emergencies, and adverse drug reactions.
• Communicates relevant findings and recommendations and documents them in the clinical information system.
• Ensures that necessary records are appropriately maintained according to legal requirements and hospital policies and procedures.
• Supervises technicians in drug preparation and distribution duties.
• Provides objective information on the performance of co-workers (both within and outside of the pharmacy department) to facilitate performance management.
• Participates in the orientation and education of pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and/or new department employees.
• Participates in educational and scholarly activities related to drug therapy to enhance personal knowledge as well as that of other health professionals at West Virginia University Hospitals.
• Participates in planning and implementing changes in the pharmacy and improves productivity through participation in staff meetings and projects.
• Routinely completes and submits written assignments in a timely manner, continuing education documentation, and other items as assigned.
• Successfully completes annual clinical competency evaluations.
• For Facilities With Specialty Accreditation Requirements: Completion of annual required education related to specialty accreditation as defined by accreditation standards. Training may be completed through CBLs, trainings, In-services, and competency validation.

Medication Use Management Support

• Monitor medication utilization patterns against internal and external benchmarks.
• Conduct and coordinate medication use evaluations and identify opportunities for optimization.
• Assess peer-reviewed literature to support evidence-based medication decisions.

Formulary & P&T Support

• Lead clinical drug reviews and therapeutic class reviews.
• Support P&T committee initiatives and formulary recommendations.
• Collaborate with pharmacy clinical specialists to develop medication protocols, policies, and clinical guidelines.

Cost & Quality Initiatives

• Forecast drug expenses and propose cost attenuation strategies.
• Support clinical programs that improve pharmaceutical care quality and reduce costs.
• Monitor new drug developments and assess impact on health system operations.

Data Analytics & Reporting

• Utilize Epic Workbench, Microsoft Office Suite, and other analytics tools.
• Analyze reports and provide feedback on clinical opportunities.
• Ensure data accuracy and meaningful reporting for leadership.

Collaboration & Education

• Partner with nursing and medical staff on medication education.
• Provide drug information services to healthcare practitioners.
• Participate in quality improvement and medication safety initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

Education, Certification, and/or Licensure:

• Must possess current licensure as required by state board where services will be provided: WV: Pharmacist license through the West Virginia State Board of Pharmacy; PA: Pharmacist license through the Pennsylvania State Board of Pharmacy; MD: Pharmacist license through the Maryland Board of Pharmacy; OH: Pharmacist license through the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
• Obtain certification in Basic Life Support within 60 days of hire date.

Preferred Qualifications

Education, Certification, and/or Licensure:

• Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) from an ACPE accredited school of pharmacy.

Experience: Experience in at least ONE of the following areas:

• Completion of a PGY-2 Residency in an applicable clinical field.
• Completion of a PGY-1 Residency AND Board Certified in an applicable clinical field.
• Completion of a PGY-1 Residency AND three years of relevant pharmacist experience.
• Three (3) years of relevant pharmacist experience AND Board Certified in an applicable clinical field.

Skills and Abilities

• Time management skills.
• Verbal and non-verbal communication skills.
• Teamwork skills.

Physical Requirements

• Walk and stand for long periods of time.
• Must be able to lift 30 pounds and push 50 pounds.
• Dexterity required to finger, handle, and reach.

Working Environment

• Cognizant of environmental factors.
• Based in Morgantown, WV. Hybrid or remote work arrangements may be available with management approval.

Schedule

• Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40
• Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt

Company Information

• Company: SYSTEM West Virginia University Health System
• Cost Center: 239 SYSTEM Pharmacy Admin
• Address: 1 Medical Center Drive, Morgantown, West Virginia