Pharmacist of Strategic Planning

About the role

The Pharmacist of Strategic Planning oversees the daily operations of the Pharmacy and pharmaceutical services, including preparation and processing of chemotherapeutic medications, supervision of Pharmacy staff, and compliance with federal and state regulations.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the daily operations of the Pharmacy and pharmaceutical services (unit dose, controlled substances, IV admixtures, clinical services, investigational drug services, infusion pumps, purchasing and billing).
• Oversees preparation and processing of chemotherapeutic medications and other prescription orders for primary and satellite facilities while ensuring compliance with regulations.
• Trains new staff on use of the Willow module in EPIC and QS1 and ensures staff is retrained when upgrades or new releases occur.
• Opens and closes the Pharmacy and is responsible for activating and deactivating the Pharmacy alarm system.
• Works with Director of Pharmacy Services to develop Pharmacy policies and procedures to enhance work flow and accuracy of Pharmacy procedures.
• Maintains daily operations of the Pharmacy computer system.
• Ensures adequate supply of emergency medications is available.
• Maintains inventory of medications, pharmacy supplies and narcotics.
• Reviews invoices for accuracy and submits for payment.
• Maintains quality control procedures for the Pharmacy, including appropriate checks and balances procedures which ensure accuracy in processing physician orders and preparing and dispensing pharmaceuticals.
• Coordinates disposal of biohazardous waste from the facility.
• Serves as a liaison between Pharmacy staff, physicians, pharmaceutical representatives, and management.
• Serves as a resource person for physicians, staff and patients/families regarding drug information and other Pharmacy issues and questions.
• Represents the Pharmacy and participates in special meetings as needed.
• Serves as a primary safety consultant in the event of a chemotherapeutic or other hazardous drug spill or exposure incident, and coordinates with the Safety Coordinator to ensure compliance with OSHA standards, including maintenance of facility MSDS notebooks, development of a written hazardous drug program, and implementation of emergency response procedures.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable safety and health regulations, policies, and procedures. Complies with established personal protective equipment requirements necessary for protection against exposures to chemotherapeutic agents, blood, and body fluids, other potentially infections materials, chemical disinfectants, and other hazardous substances.
• Performs Pharmacy Technician duties as needed.
• Processes prescription orders in EPIC for hub and satellite locations.
• Generates prescription labels.
• Verifies accuracy of prescription labels.
• Oversees preparation of prescriptions in the Pharmacy.
• Verifies prescriptions are prepared correctly.
• Verifies prescriptions orders, labels, and prepared prescriptions prior to delivery to the nursing unit.
• Dispenses prescriptions to medical oncology nursing unit.
• Enhances workflow by reviewing submitted prescription orders and processing and preparing orders to the extent appropriate and possible.
• Maintains a safe and efficient working environment in the Pharmacy by maintaining a clean work area and following all regulations in accordance with regulatory agencies and Pharmacy policies.
• Communicates appropriate information to physicians, supervisors, and/or other members of the healthcare team as needed, and follows-through on physician orders and requests.
• Attends staff meetings and mandatory inservices.
• Participates in continuing education opportunities and maintains licensure.
• Contributes to the quality of patient care and participates in quality improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree or Doctor of Pharmacy from accredited School of Pharmacy.
• Current licensure with the State of Illinois as a Registered Pharmacist.
• Taken EPIC training and successfully passed required tests.
• Three years pharmacy experience.
• Prior experience in a combined hospital/retail setting and/or experience in a physician practice or ambulatory setting.
• Prior oncology pharmacy experience preferred.

Skills

• Knowledge of basic pharmacy medication order systems, pharmacy procedures and equipment, metric system, drug, and medical nomenclature.
• Knowledge and skills to prepare and dispense drugs and medications.
• Knowledge of safety precautions and procedures related to exposure to chemotherapy and hazardous substances, blood, and other potentially infectious materials.
• Verbal and written English communication skills for safe and effective patient care and to meet documentation standards.
• Eye, hand, and auditory coordination.
• Ability to operate office equipment, including telephones, PCs, copiers, facsimiles, etc.
• Ability to perform drug calculations, use pharmaceutical compounding equipment for compounding sterile and non-sterile products, interpret physician orders, maintain records and responsibility for controlled substances, maintain inventory of drugs and supplies.
• Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work meeting time constraints.
• Ability to judge the appropriate action in response to changes, circumstances, or problems.
• Ability to coordinate the work of others; work under pressure with time constraints, meet deadlines and work with frequent interruptions.
• Ability to maintain professional attitude at all times, function in a sometimes demanding and fast-paced work environment related to changing patient needs, including work with patients with acute, chronic, and complex disease processes and those who are dying.
• Ability to recognize obvious errors in the preparation or dispensing of pharmaceuticals and investigate for probable cause.
• Understands errors in processing, preparation or dispensing of pharmaceuticals may delay treatment of patients and/or cause adverse effects, including death.
• Understands and practices patient confidentiality.
• A positive attitude towards health care team members and diverse patient populations.