Pharmacist, Specialist in Poison Information

Department Overview

This position will be filled by a Pharmacist or Registered Nurse. If interested in applying as a RN see application 2026-39270

 

This position aims to provide the services of a licensed pharmacist to the Oregon Poison Center (OPC). The OPC is a 24-hour emergency response center providing information to effectively triage and assist in managing patients experiencing a poisoning or toxic exposure. The poison center serves the public and health care providers throughout Oregon and Guam. The center serves patients of all age groups. The pharmacist will maintain responsibility for answering the emergency phone lines. Primary responsibility includes patient assessment, providing treatment recommendations and facilitating appropriate referral to a health care facility if necessary. Ongoing patient evaluation and follow-up are essential components of the duties of this position. The pharmacist will participate in OPC’s research, educational and outreach activities. This position serves as a preceptor for students from various colleges of pharmacy, nursing and medicine. 

 

The staff of the OPC utilizes a collaborative practice model as a framework for care provision. The policies and procedures in the center are consistent with a planned system. The toxicologists and pharmacists at the OPC work with health care providers in other facilities in treating the victims of poisoning and toxic exposure to assure consistent, quality care. Inherent in this framework are shared clients, collegiality, shared accountability and joint decision-making. Mutual trust and respect are essential to the collaborative practice model environment.

Function/Duties of Position

1 Practice:

• Demonstrate ability to answer poison calls, ascertain necessary information and obtain accurate history from caller.
• Utilize basic data resources and consults with others as necessary to obtain accurate
• Identification of substance of exposure and toxicity information in developing recommendations for plan of care.
• Incorporate evaluation of patient/family ability to provide home care and monitoring when appropriate.
• Demonstrate ability to identify exposure situations which pose an immediate potential health risk and take appropriate action to assure effective patient management.
• Recognize inappropriate calls to poison center and utilize assistance to direct caller to appropriate resource.  Provide patient access to social support systems.  Recognizes unique responsibility to assure care to pediatric and suicidal patients.
• Understand basic principles of toxicology, including:

a)      Assessment of significant symptoms

b)      History related to exposure

c)      Principles of decontamination

d)      Metabolism

e)      Systemic and local effects

f)       Understand/demonstrate knowledge of major substance exposure groups without needing assistance from others

·  Assure that all initial incoming calls are answered in a timely manner and effectively triaged based on acuity of all active calls.

·  Consult with on call physician toxicologist according to department guidelines.

·   Utilize standardized departmental treatment guidelines unless directed otherwise by on call physician toxicologist.

· Consult with on call physician toxicologist in instances in which treatment recommendations are not followed, and documents appropriately.

2 Documentation:

·   Adhere to documentation standards of the National Poison Data System as described in the NPDS manual.

·  Utilize Toxicall, the computerized documentation system of the Oregon Poison Center.

·   Check for accuracy and completeness of case documentation upon closing case.

·   Document clinical information relayed by OPC toxicology physicians.

 

3 Teaching and Education:

·  Incorporate poison prevention education in plan of care where appropriate.

·   Participate in education of students in the Oregon Poison Center by allowing monitoring of calls, assistance with selection of research projects and review of exams.

·   Recognize and adapt teaching to accommodate unique objectives of each student group.

·  Provide outreach public prevention and professional education in the community, when the opportunity and resources are available.

 

 

Required Qualifications

• PharmD degree
• Minimum 2 years of Pharmacy experience in critical care, emergency medicine or high acuity pediatrics OR experience in working/training in a poison center
• Competency in drug therapy and principles of pharmacology (dosage, indications, side effects, etc.)
• Excellent interpersonal communication
• Excellent pro