UPMC

The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist provides comprehensive pharmaceutical care to Pinnacle Health patients of all ages through medication order review, preparation, dispensing, documentation, monitoring, patient counseling, and medication reconciliation. The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist collaborates with patients, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals to deliver safe, effective, and fiscally responsible patient-centered care. This position also has a leadership component that requires extensive program development, provision of education, and committee involvement. Requires an extensive command of specialty practice, including diseases, published literature and medication therapies for specific patient populations.

Responsibilities:

• Serves as a patient advocate for all medication-related issues.
• Promotes safe, effective, and fiscally responsible use of medications.
• Collaborates with patients, nurses, and prescribers in unit-based, patient-centered activities.
• Proactively seeks to optimize patient outcomes through evidence-based, patient-specific pharmacotherapy. Considers all possibilities!
• Reviews and monitors medication orders for accuracy and appropriateness. Intervenes with the prescriber as necessary. Documents all interventions.
• Practices pharmacy in accordance with approved policies and regulatory requirements.
• Completes required documentation, records, and supplemental paperwork in accordance with departmental policy.
• Assures that investigational medications are dispensed and recorded in compliance with individual protocols.
• Ensures that controlled substances are dispensed and that departmental records are maintained in accordance with state and federal requirements and that a chain of custody is maintained.
• Calculates, prepares, and labels sterile admixtures in accordance with USP 797 standards, including chemotherapy as assigned, utilizing proper technique and handling procedures/precautions.
• Oversees pharmacy technician operations, including sterile admixture preparation, during assigned shifts.
• Oversees the compounding and/or repacking of non-sterile medications.
• Maintains an ability to adequately utilize all pharmacy technologies and electronic systems.
• Prevents, detects, monitors, documents, and reports adverse drug reactions and medication errors. Makes medication-related patient safety a priority.
• Utilizes the biomedical literature to provide drug and nutritional product information to patients and other healthcare providers. Actively listens and asks open-ended follow-up questions to ensure the true question is answered and any underlying concerns are resolved.
• Effectively communicates with patients and other healthcare professionals. Goes above and beyond to assure optimal patient outcomes.
• Troubleshoots and takes ownership of patient care issues.
• Travels among UPMC facilities when necessary and as directed to completed assigned Pharmacy activities.
• Participates in departmental activities, staff meetings, drug utilization evaluations, quality improvement programs, and other projects as required or assigned. Routinely facilitates high-level discussion at Pharmacy Rounds.
• Promotes the Mission, Vision, and Values of UPMC and serves as a role model of the Standards of Behavior, with an emphasis on the patient at all times.
• Provides training and education to pharmacy staff members and pharmacy students as assigned.
• Proactively seeks to improve and expand professional skills through self-directed learning. Participates in departmental educational programs.
• Alters normal routine and takes actions to accomplish tasks as needed on a daily basis.
• Proactively reviews and researches current medical literature and guidelines.
• Effectively searches and integrates data obtained from multiple sources to derive a conclusion or develop a patient care plan.
• Maintains a well-rounded knowledge of all patient populations and facets of pharmacy practice while concentrating on areas of specialty.
• Monitors the medication pipeline and anticipates changes in medication therapy and the potential impact it will have on the clinical and financial delivery of patient care.
• Develops training and educational programs as needed.
• Proactively identifies issues and collaborates with medical and nursing staff to establish or modify medication-related policies and procedures, protocols and order sets to support safe and effective medication practices.
• Attends and/or leads assigned multidisciplinary committee meetings.
• Participates in and actively promotes departmental activities.
• Improves medication use at UPMC by conducting targeted medication usage evaluations and reports results to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.
• Assists with precepting of experiential rotations for PharmD clerkship students from affiliated schools of pharmacy.
• Shares UPMC outcomes and experiences with colleagues through publication and/or presentations.
• Minimum of 2-year hospital pharmacy experience as a licensed pharmacist.
• Successfully completes all annual competencies as assigned, including clinical case-based competency.
• Employee must maintain a portfolio, containing at a minimum:
• Summary of contribution and progress on projects
• Significant interventions made since the previous years performance evaluation
• Significant continuing education or certification completed that demonstrate your personal commitment to keep your education current.
• Maintains competency in and awareness of all areas of pharmacy practice and technology employed in all decentralized areas.
• Doctor of Pharmacy degree preferred.
• Completion of an ASHP-accredited residency preferred.
• Certification by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties preferred.
• Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:
• Registered pharmacist with Pennsylvania licensure/eligibility.
• Pharmacist
• Act 34 with renewal

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran