Clinical Pharmacist - Oncolgy Picu Pedi Critical Care Cardiology Medicine

Clinical Pharmacists assume responsibility and accountability for the provision of safe effective and prompt medication therapy. Clinical Pharmacists proficiently provide direct patientcentered care and integrated pharmacy operational services in a decentralized practice setting with physicians nurses and other hospital personnel to deliver optimal medication therapy to patients with a broad range of disease states. These clinicians are aligned with target interdisciplinary programs and specialty services to deliver medication therapy management within specialty patient care services and to ensure pharmaceutical care programs are appropriately integrated throughout the institution. Pharmaceutical care services include but are not limited to assessing patient needs incorporating age and disease specific characteristics into drug therapy and patient education adjusting care according to patient response and providing clinical interventions to detect mitigate and prevent medication adverse events. Clinical Pharmacists serve as a departmental resources and liaisons to other departments hospital personnel or external groups. They proficiently manage and facilitate the appropriate use of medications according to professional and regulatory standards. They also conduct clinical research and practice advancement projects as well as patient care quality and regulatory compliance initiatives designed to improve medicationuse processes or pharmacy practice. Clinical Pharmacists provide medication and practicerelated education/training and actively serve as preceptors for pharmacy residents and Doctor of Pharmacy students.

The following are essential job functions for Clinical Pharmacists:

Essential Job Functions

Percent of Time Spent

Leads assigned patient service lines clinical areas and therapeutic programs

• Facilitates pharmaceutical care services direct patient care programs medication utilization systems within assigned services and care areas to assure drug utilization activities are aligned with patient care needs evidencebased best practices and regulatory standards
• Designs and implements new pharmacy programs quality improvement changes and continuous quality assurance initiatives to advance the organizations medicationuse systems and promote optimal patient outcomes
• Designs and implements stewardship activities and restriction/surveillance programs
• Tracks and evaluates assigned pharmacy programs for operational quality and financial efficiency and routinely benchmarks against local and national best practices
• Actively identifies and reports short and longterm obstacles to patient care and medication safety regulatory compliance or stewardship or resources
• Develops and oversees policies and procedures for drug purchasing drug usage drug distribution and drug control
• Provides departmental and institutional leadership for medical staff committees/meetings hospital group/task forces and approved external programs/organizations
• Assures pharmacy is an integral part of the healthcare delivery system and facilitates enhancement and expansion of pharmacy services/programs

10

Delivers direct patientcare and clinical practice including decentralized and servicebased programs

• Maintains proficiency in decentralized pharmacy services and clinical pharmacy programs
• Places practice priority on the delivery of patientcentered care
• Works as an active member of multidisciplinary team and collaborates with healthcare providers within decentralized patient care areas
• Establishes collaborative pharmacistpatient relationships
• Proficiently maintains patient information and efficiently interprets patients health care needs including patient problem lists and prioritized pharmacist interventions
• Collects and documents accurate patient medication histories and reconcile discrepancies versus orders

• Identifies highrisk patients and implements interventions to improve quality and safety
• Makes appropriate evidencebased patientcentered medication recommendations
• Implements evaluates and redesigns pharmaceutical care plans based on patient progress and evolving goals for medication usage including drug dosing monitoring (including nutritional support pharmacokinetic monitoring and anticoagulation therapy etc.
• Provides written documentation in the patients medical record when requested or directed
• Participates in the management of medical emergencies. Obtains and maintains ACLS certification and/or PALS
• Provides discharge medication review reconciliation and counseling as appropriate to help with the transition of care
• Provides evidencebased medication education to physicians nurses and other professionals
• Educates patients regarding safe and effective use of medications possible medication side effects and the role of prescribed medications in the overall therapeutic care plan

25

Provides pharmaceutical services throughout the hospital

• Maintains proficiency in hospital computer systems and medication ordering systems
• Provides accurate safe timely and appropriate medication therapy based on patient age and needs
• Assures timely medication dispensing and accurate medication availability on patient care areas
• Interprets evaluates and accurately processes medication orders
• Identifies mitigates prevents and documents problems with medication orders or therapeutic regimens including medication errors or adverse drug reactions
• Completes critical patient monitoring and reviews patient profile/chart to identify prevent or mitigate drugrelated problems improper drug or dose selection subtherapeutic dosage over dosage adverse drug reactions drug interactions failure to receive untreated indications medication use without an indication and treatment failures
• Communicates effectively and appropriately with health care providers and caregivers (physicians nurses etc. and assures continuity of pharmaceutical care between shifts and among staff
• Provides timely comprehensive and appropriate drug information to patients and health care providers
• Promote the use of the formulary by converting nonformulary medications to formulary agents when possible evaluate appropriateness of nonformulary medication requests and support procurement of nonformulary when necessary.
• Actively participates in stewardship activities and restricted medication programs
• Follows established standard work parameters and maintains standard work environments
• Documents pharmacist interventions

25

Participates in pharmacy operations and medication dispensing

• Maintains proficiency in and actively engages in operational programs central dispensing pharmacies satellite dispensing pharmacies and specialty pharmacy areas as appropriate for job assignment
• Facilitates specialty medication procurement ordering and dispensing procedures including but not limited to chemotherapy parenteral nutrition controlled substances etc as appropriate for assignment
• Effectively and efficiently utilizes pharmacy automation and supportive technology
• Oversees pharmacy operations and technician practice/activities

10

Facilitates experiential education and practice advancement

• Maintains proficiency in the four preceptor roles and actively emulates education/mentorship skills
• Serves as a preceptor/educator for MGH pharmacy residency and student experiential education programs including maintaining training and experience in pharmacy practice areas appropriate for teaching assignments
• Develops student resident and staff training experiences/competencies and creates new relationships for teaching and training opportunities
• Identifies designs and implements improvements in the medicationuse system to advance patient safety maximize therapeutic outcomes or control costs
• Represents the department at hospital meetings committees and events as requested
• Identify design implement and assess the impact of a practice related project using effective project management skills

25

Performs other duties as assigned

• Maintain a sustained record of contribution to the total body of knowledge in pharmacy practice through presentations publications and professional affiliation activities.
• Present poster or platform presentations at state or national forums at least every 24 months.
• Submit material worthy for publishing in a peerreviewed journal at least every 24 months.
• Participate as a formal reviewer for a peerreviewed medical or pharmacy journal.

5

In addition to the responsibilities as stated above must also:

Promote excellent customer service by assisting patients coworkers medical staff and other health care providers resolve expressed concerns demonstrating a welcoming and helpful attitude and responding in a positive professional and courteous manner. Identify customer (patient and health care provider) requirements both actual and anticipated and maintain active personal contact and rapport with potential and actual customers. Maintain uptodate knowledge of contemporary hospital practice and clinical service; trends and innovations in pharmacy leadership; and updates in traditional therapeutics professional practice standards or health care regulatory requirements. Maintain a specialized evidencebased knowledge of drug and drug therapy by reviewing relevant professional journals and suggested readings. Participate actively in Department of Pharmacy meetings (attendance and presentation expectations per policy). Demonstrate personal leadership qualities and business acumen essential to operate effectively within the institution and advance the profession and practice of pharmacy.

Relationships:

1. Clinical Pharmacists report directly to a manager or director within the Department of Pharmacy and work collaboratively with administrative staff pharmacist staff and technical staff to support department initiatives.

2. Clinical Pharmacists have frequent interactions with physicians nurses other members of the health care team students residents and external professional groups.

3. Clinical Pharmacists supervise all support staff (e.g. pharmacy technicians) as needed during the normal course of the work day.

1. Knowledge of contemporary hospital/clinical practice and service

2. Knowledge and understanding of general hospital operations and regulatory compliance.

3. Strong written and verbal communication skills.

4. Ability to interact constructively with supervisors peers and support personnel.

5. Ability to integrate clinical and distributive pharmacy services with quality improvement teaching research and professional development activities.

6. Significant general clinical knowledge and expertise in traditional therapeutics and patient centered care.

7. Significant knowledge and expertise in advanced pharmacy practice specialty medication therapy management and specialty evidencebased medicine in area appropriate for clinical assignments.

8. Strong teaching and precepting skills and expertise in experiential training.

Education:

Graduate of an ACPE accredited college of pharmacy required.

Doctor of Pharmacy or other advanced degree highly preferred.

Experience:

Completion of ASHP accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency required and PGY2 Specialty Pharmacy Residency preferred.

Clinical pharmacy experience 24 years) in a hospital setting preferred (required if no PGY2 residency).

Exceptional aptitude or knowledge may be considered in lieu of experience. Extensive clinical experience and development may be considered in lieu of formal training.