RELIEF PHARMACIST

About the role

Interprets physician prescriptions and medication orders. Acts as a drug information resource to patients, medical staff, nursing staff and ancillary department personnel. Compounds and dispenses prescribed medications and other pharmaceuticals for patient care by performing the related duties.

Responsibilities

• Reviews prescriptions issued by physicians or other authorized prescribers to assure accuracy and determines formulas and ingredients needed.
• Compounds medications using standard formulas and processes such as weighing, measuring and mixing ingredients.
• Monitors all posting onto the patient profiles in order that accuracy, drug allergies, drug interactions, duplicate therapy, rational drug therapy and incompatibilities may be realized and better patient care received.
• Check patient medication cassettes prior to delivery to patient care areas to ascertain that the correct drug, dosage form, schedule and strength is being dispensed.
• Prepares IV admixtures and extemporaneous parenteral products under aseptic conditions.
• Directs pharmacy personnel engaged in packaging and labeling pharmaceuticals.
• Answers questions and provides information to physicians, nurses, patients and other health care professionals on the appropriate use of medications, drug interactions, side effects, dosage, storage, etc.
• Endorses policies and procedures of the Department and of the Hospital.
• Ensures the maintenance and proper operation of equipment and supplies in the work areas.
• Maintains established procedures concerning quality control, security of controlled substances and disposal of hazardous waste.
• Enters data into the computer system (Pharmacy program) such as patient, prescribed medications and cost and maintains patient profiles and charge system.
• Provides pharmaceutical care to all ages of patients from newborns to the elderly.
• Understands that there are dosage variations between newborn, pediatric, adult and geriatric patients and knows where to find appropriate information.
• Demonstrates ability to read, analyze and interpret Pharmacy-related journals.
• Demonstrates ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies or members of the hospital staff.
• Demonstrates ability to apply mathematical operations to such tasks as dosage calculations, formulation of pharmaceutical preparations and data analysis.
• Demonstrates ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
• Demonstrates ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions and deal with several abstract variables.

Requirements

• Adheres to dress code standards; appearance is neat and clean.
• Completes annual educational requirements.
• Maintains regulatory requirements, including all state federal and CMS regulations.
• Maintains and ensures patient confidentiality at all times.
• Wears identification while on duty, uses computerized punch time system correctly.
• Attends committee, QI and management meetings, as appropriate, actively participates in the department CQI activities.
• Reports to work on time and as scheduled, completes work within designated time.
• Communicates the mission, vision, core values, ethics and goals of the hospital as well as the mission statement of the department.
• Ensures confidentiality of patient’s records.
• Completes department in-service and returns in a timely fashion.