Medication History Specialist Medication Administration

About the Role

Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine. The Medication History Specialist-Medication Administration plays a vital role in promoting patient and medication safety by independently obtaining accurate pre-admission medication and allergy histories. This includes conducting screenings for immunizations, Hepatitis C, CIWA, and vaccines for direct admissions, Emergency Department patients, and day surgery patients.

As an essential member of the pharmacy team, the specialist gathers precise information through patient interviews and other sources to prevent medication duplications, omissions, and errors. The data collected is entered into the electronic health record (EHR) and utilized by interdisciplinary healthcare professionals throughout the patient's hospital stay. This role requires strong knowledge of pharmaceutical terminology, metric systems, and exceptional customer service skills. The specialist must be able to communicate effectively with patients, clinicians, pharmacists, and care team members across the continuum of care. Additionally, the role includes administering designated vaccinations and may involve providing services within the scope of a professional licensure.

The position requires the ability to learn new tasks quickly and adapt to frequent changes. Understanding and executing detailed, involved instructions is essential.

Responsibilities

• Obtain accurate pre-admission medication and allergy histories.
• Conduct screenings for immunizations, Hepatitis C, CIWA, and vaccines.
• Gather precise medication information through patient interviews and other sources.
• Enter data into the electronic health record (EHR).
• Administer designated vaccinations.
• Communicate effectively with patients, clinicians, pharmacists, and care team members.

Requirements

• High school diploma or successful completion of General Educational Development (GED) exam is required.
• Must obtain 80% or higher on department-administered exam on key elements of pharmaceutical knowledge and the medication history intake process.
• General computer skills.
• Considerable knowledge of medication names (both trade and generic), their uses, doses, and routes of administration.
• Ability to identify medications based on markings.
• Excellent patient interview skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with patients and other healthcare professionals.
• National pharmacy technician certification (CPhT) or other healthcare licensure (LPN).
• Two (2) years of previous hospital healthcare or retail pharmacy practice experience.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse - PA (Required).
• Practical Nurse or Registered Nurse: Pennsylvania State Board Issued License required.
• HS diploma, LPN, ASN, or BSN.
• Nursing diploma and a licensed practical nurse required.
• Associate of Arts or Science (Required). Associate's degree in nursing or higher required.

Benefits

We believe that the best care for our patients starts with the best care for our employees. Our employee benefits programs help our employees get healthy and stay healthy. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits program that includes one of the finest prepaid tuition assistance programs in the region.