Pharmacy Clinical Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Pharmacy Clinical Specialist is responsible for the provision of direct patient care, training and education of other health care providers, contributing to formulary management activities, and participating in quality improvement projects. Direct patient care activities include improving patient outcomes by optimizing pharmacotherapy, ensuring medication safety, and promoting effective transitions of care. The Pharmacy Clinical Specialist will be expected to take an active role in projects and activities beyond direct patient care that support the mission, values, and goals of the Department of Pharmacy and Boston Medical Center. This pharmacist will be expected to provide exemplary service to other internal customers at BMC, as well as embody BMC’S RESPECT standards in all interactions with patients and colleagues.  This position has rotating shifts and includes weekends and holidays.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:

Distributive and operational responsibilities

• Ensures all medications are handled in the manner established by the Formulary Management Committee, applicable accreditation standards, state and federal regulations, and the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy.
• Reviews and verifies medication orders, reviews patient charts, evaluates applicable laboratory data to identify or prevent drug-related problems or toxicity. For each medication, the pharmacist evaluates the order for appropriateness including but not limited to dose, route and frequency for clinical indication and organ function, screening for drug interactions, therapeutic duplication, allergy history, and recommending use of formulary drugs or alternative cost-effective therapy when possible.
• Works closely with the central pharmacist and technicians to ensure accurate and timely acquisition, distribution and control of all medications, including investigational drugs.  Collaborates with the Pharmacy Purchasing team on special medication needs.
• Adheres to all protocols and policies related to controlled substances.
• Supervises the activities of supportive personnel including student interns and technicians.
• Uses designated pharmacy automation and/or barcoding systems to document checking of any medication or sterile product prior to dispensing.  

Direct patient care

• Rotates through different clinical shifts with a specific core practice area
• Makes recommendations to optimize pharmacotherapy within the context of a multidisciplinary team
• Provides effective transition of care needs including, but not limited to, medication reconciliation, discharge counseling, facilitating medication to bedside, and completing post-discharge telephone calls.
• Prevents patient harm by promoting the safe use of medications
• Identifies and reports medication-related events
• Performs daily targeted interventions to decrease risk of readmission, optimize therapy, and improve medication safety
• Serves as a pharmacy liaison to the BMC staff by ensuring the connectivity between clinical and distributive services.
• Documents all patient care activities

Education and training

• Serves as a preceptor for residents and students
• Assists in the orientation and training of new pharmacists, residents, interns and technicians as assigned.
• Provides timely and accurate drug information, training, and education to patients and health care providers
• Collaborates on resident projects

Formulary management

• Participates in formulary management activities (e.g. monograph preparation, medication use evaluations, etc.)
• Enacts drug shortage action plans
• Follows departmental policies and procedures to promote cost-effective medication use

Quality improvement

• Identifies opportunities for improvement in patient care or the medication use process
• Takes an active role in the development and implementation of quality improvement projects

Other duties

• May serve on hospital multidisciplinary committees as assigned
• Maintains own professional and specialized competency through continuing education as set forth by the Department of Pharmacy and the Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy
• Conforms to Boston Medical Center’s standards of conduct so that the best possible customer service and patient care experience is provided:

• Conducts interpersonal relationships with patients, visitors, physicians and fellow employees in a courteous and customer friendly manner.

• Takes corrective action to improve performance on problem areas.
• Maintains all designated hospital information confidential at all times.
• Follows established hospital infectio