Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - PICU (Days)

We are searching for clinical pharmacy specialists. In the clinical specialist position, you will manage and promote activities appropriate to ensure the medication use process, to serve as mentor to pharmacists who provide services to the medical specialty, and to assist in direct patient care activities to promote optimal drug therapy and resolve medication use problems in a manner developmentally appropriate for the ages of patients served. 

Job Duties & Responsibilities

Responsibility A: Utilizes practice knowledge and skills to serve as Clinical Practitioner.  
 

• Actively participates in multi-disciplinary rounds with medical specialty services.  
• Identifies patients with special medication needs and oversees coordination of activities to ensure proper delivery of drug therapy, including patients requiring extracorporeal therapies.  
• Serves as member of patient care committees for medical specialty service. Makes recommendations and implements change to improve patient care  
• Performs outcome-directed therapeutic drug monitoring for patients according to guidelines. 
• Monitors therapies for drug-drug, drug-nutrient, and drug-laboratory interactions and discusses interactions with appropriate health care professionals to help ensure patient safety and compliance.  
• Performs outcome-directed pharmacokinetics monitoring for patients according to guidelines and discusses recommendations with appropriate medical professionals to help provide the best care for the patient.  
• Participates in Quality Improvement initiatives to enhance and ensure patient safety for all patients.

Responsibility B: Ensures the medication use process.  

• Creates and maintains appropriate and useful policies and procedures affecting areas of responsibility. Makes recommendations as to how services, methods, and procedures can be improved. Establishes action plans to implement appropriate changes.  
• Promotes the use of the formulary and follows procedures to obtain non-formulary medications.  
• Identifies opportunities for improvement for area of practice; seeks to accomplish these improvements.  
• Identifies and suggests agents to be added, deleted, or modified to/within the formulary and database.  
• Investigates, follows-up, and takes appropriate action for medication incidents and adverse drug reactions.  

Responsibility C: Participates in the education of parents/patients, caregivers, pharmacists, and pharmacy residents and students.  

• Participates in the education and training of pharmacy employees, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and non-pharmacy personnel. Develops an educational program and a plan and incorporates into pharmacist’s routine increasing their clinical knowledge.  
• Provides correct and timely drug information to medical, nursing, and pharmacy staff as needed.  
• Perpetuates self-development through publications and/or presentations at a professional society level each year. 
• Demonstrates current professional, managerial, and technical knowledge and skills.  
• Coordinates performance improvement or quality improvement activities to contribute to improved patient outcomes.  
• Develops educational programs, both practice-area specific and general education for pharmacists to ensure good patient care.  
• Serves as a preceptor to pharmacists, pharmacy residents and students.  
• Actively participates in the development of evidence-based clinical guidelines group to ensure appropriate provision of medical therapy in TCH guidelines.  
• Attends one pharmacy or service based professional meeting each year.  
• Provide medication education to patients/parents/caregivers as requested by the medical team. 

Responsibility D: Communicates with others.  

• Collaborates effectively with other members of health care disciplines to provide comprehensive care to patients.  
• Communicates positively and appropriately to work effectively as a team.  
• Utilizes appropriate skills to help develop a care plan.  
• Checks all available means of communication including e-mail, mailbox, and voice mail if applicable every day/shift. Responds to pages and messages within departmental standards. 
• Communicates and treats all coworkers with respect and courtesy, avoiding loud and disruptive conversation, and/or actions and remarks indicating disrespect.  
• Keeps immediate supervisor informed of issues.  
• Acts as a liaison between the pharmacy, nurses and physicians.  

Responsibility E: Performs other essential functions.  

• Maintain patient confidentiality as documented by lack of complaints and peer review.  
• Performs additional duties as assigned within specified deadline.  
• Ensures a work environment that is clean, neat, and organized according to departmental standards.  
• Completes mandatory health, safety, and training/in-services requirements by deadline.  
• Demonstrates initiative when opportunities are presented as evidenced by successful completion of projects.  
• Participates in the recruitment and successful hiring and training of pharmacists, completing the appropriate tasks to help hire and train employees as needed. • Participates in the clinical on-call program. 

SHARED ACCOUNTABILITIES  

• Knowledge and Skills  
• Technical and extensive knowledge of medication, pediatrics, and clinical therapeutics.  
• Knowledge regarding effectively communicating medications’ effects, education about medications, and establishing programs specific to patient care and training is required.  
• Maintaining validation of departmental and area specific competencies.  
• Must be able to work under pressure and work closely with others continuously throughout the day.  
• Must hold an active TX State Board of Pharmacy Preceptor License and Precept at least two clinical students each year.  
   

As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace, all successful candidates will be required to undergo respiratory fit testing in compliance with occupational health and safety standards.

Requirements

• Required Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) or Bachelor's Degree Science in Pharmacy
• Required Licensed Pharmacist by the State of Texas or eligible for licensure in Texas.
• Required PGY1 ASHP-accredited Pharmacy Practice Residency AND a PGY2 Pharmacy Practice Residency in an Advanced Area of Pharmacy Practice (PGY2 Oncology, PGY2 Pediatrics preferred), or
• Required PGY1 ASHP-accredited Pharmacy Practice Residency with four (4) years' experience in an inpatient hospital pharmacy setting with clinical responsibilities, pediatric experience preferred.

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