Pharmacist

Responsibilities

• Provides support for clinical programs and practices within the hospital as well as medication order review with accuracy;
• Checks technician-prepared products before release;
• Maintains security of pharmacy and controlled substances;
• Aids in the training of new staff;
• Participates in continuous quality improvement activities, such as drug-level monitoring, adverse event monitoring and medication error reporting.

Essential Functions

• Serves in a professional capacity on unit-based decentralized teams when applicable.
• Makes sure patients receive optimal therapeutic outcomes by monitoring drug therapy regimens.
• Monitors for contraindications, drug-drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, and appropriateness of drug and dose.
• Identifies and intervenes when problems involving drug therapy arise.
• Functions as a therapeutic consultant and collaborates with providers to provide guidance on appropriate use of medications.
• Recommends evidence-based medication therapy regimens and monitoring plans.
• Suggests appropriate, cost-effective therapeutic alternatives to medical staff as needed.
• Reads, extracts, and interprets information in patient charts accurately.
• Documents clinical activity/interventions as performed.
• Provides pharmacokinetic consultation services as directed per protocol.
• Follows and adjusts medications based on patient specific factors (renal function, weight, etc.) as directed per hospital protocol.
• Reviews/interprets culture and susceptibility data for antibiotic appropriateness and recommends changes as needed.
• Reviews medication orders for appropriate IV to PO interchanges as directed per hospital protocol.
• Evaluates need for all non-formulary medication requests and initiates approved therapeutic medications substitutions.
• Sustains formulary by minimizing non-formulary procurements, utilizing therapeutic substitution protocols, and promoting rational drug therapy selection.
• Assesses total parenteral nutrition (TPN) monitoring and documentation per pharmacy guidelines and communicates therapeutic recommendations.
• Acts as a consultant to healthcare professionals and patients regarding utilization of pharmaceutical therapies.
• Promptly responds to inquiries with evidence-based and cost-effective therapy recommendations.
• Provides direct patient interaction via bedside encounters, medication reconciliation, discharge counseling or as otherwise directed.
• Promptsly performs patient assessments and participates in the multidisciplinary clinical rounds on the patient care unit as directed.
• Sustains quality of products dispensed meets established departmental and regulatory guidelines and that the patient receives the ordered medication as to dose, route, salt, regimen, and generic substitution.
• Ensures appropriateness of all medication doses in reference to patient’s diagnosis, weight/body surface area, age, allergies, and drug interactions.
• Recommends initiation of drug therapy when necessary.
• Clarifies incomplete and unclear orders.
• Enters/verifies medication orders in the computer processing system accurately and efficiently.
• Completes intervention documentation and submits information according to departmental guidelines.
• Accurately completes controlled substance documentation records when dispensing controlled substances.
• Accurately maintains investigational drug study records and documentation as required by the study sponsor and accrediting bodies.
• Initiates and processes medication event reports and adverse drug reaction reports as needed.
• Resolves medications administration record (MAR) clarifications and corrections.
• Verifies and monitors the preparation of sterile and non-sterile compounded admixtures.
• Demonstrates aseptic technique and proficiency in chemotherapy preparation and order processing.
• Oversees and directs pharmacy support personnel including the daily activities of technicians.
• Demonstrates proficiency in chemotherapy preparation and order processing.
• Accurately re-establishes priorities based on workload and patient needs and ensures that medication doses are delivered within established departmental guidelines.
• Serves as a preceptor for pharmacy students and meets requirements of the College(s) of Pharmacy.
• Actively participates in the education and training of new pharmacy employees and pharmacy interns.
• Participates in Network quality improvement initiatives.
• Initiates and processes medication event and adverse drug reaction reports as needed.
• Clarifies medication administration records and completes corrections as required.
• Assists in data collection and testing for quality improvement as directed.