Clinical Pharmacist - Inpatient

Pharmacist

Tucson VAMC The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS) located in Tucson AZ serves over 171,000 Veterans located in eight counties in Southern Arizona and one county in Western New Mexico. SAVAHCS is a 295-bed hospital providing primary care and sub-specialty health care in numerous medical areas for eligible Veterans. SAVAHCS also provides our Veterans with quality care at our seven Community Based Outpatient Clinics located at Safford, Casa Grande, Sierra Vista, Yuma, Green Valley, Northwest and Southeast Tucson. Facility Facts and Specifics The VA Medical Center located at Tucson Arizona is the "Flagship" for the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS), which serves over 170,000 veterans located in eight counties in Southern Arizona and one county in Western New Mexico. This 295-bed hospital provides training, primary care and sub-specialty health care in numerous medical areas for eligible Veterans. SAVAHCS has been serving America's heroes our Veterans since its dedication on October 13, 1928. SAVAHCS has affiliations with over 67 academic institutions and plays a vital role in Arizona health care education as the principle affiliate with the University of Arizona's Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. Each year over 900 physicians, nurses and other health care professionals from educational institutions across the country receive training at SAVAHCS. Virtually all SAVAHCS staff physicians hold faculty appointments at the University Of Arizona College Of Medicine. University of Arizona College of Nursing students consistently rate SAVAHCS as their best teaching experience. SAVAHCS has specialized and numerous unique treatment programs to better serve its patients such as: The South Western Blind Rehabilitation Center, The Community Living Center, which provides specialty care as Rehabilitation, Geropsychiatric, Interim, Long Term, Hospice/Palliative, and Respite Care. SAVAHCS employs over 2,500 health care professionals and support staff. SAVAHCS' economic importance to the community was recently recognized by the Arizona Daily Star as one of the 16th largest employers in Southern Arizona. Last year SAVAHCS treated over 8,700 inpatients, performed over 5,100 surgeries and completed an excess of 680,000 outpatient visits.

Requirements

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Assessing patient's response to drug therapy and planning drug therapy based on physician-established diagnoses.
• Ordering and evaluating laboratory tests necessary to evaluate drug therapy effects and outcomes.
• Initiating, modifying, or discontinuing medications for ongoing therapy of chronic disease states (e.g., hypertension, hyperlipidemia, anticoagulant, diabetes, asthma, refill clinics, etc.), in cooperation with the medical staff.
• Monitoring and managing pharmacotherapy requiring periodic adjustment due to specific or changing pharmacokinetic characteristics (e.g., aminoglycosides, phenytoin, antithrombotics).
• Initiating or modifying drug therapy for minor acute conditions such as colds, rashes, and allergies.
• Administering prescription or non-prescription drugs according to established agreements or protocols.
• Assessing metabolic needs and ordering therapeutic enteral or parenteral nutrition products in the inpatient setting.
• Evaluating medical and medication histories for drug-related problems and adjusting drug therapy accordingly.
• Consulting with other healthcare providers (e.g., physicians, dietitians, nurses, physical therapists, etc.) about patient treatment needs or options.
• Conducting and coordinating clinical investigations and research (consistent with other healthcare professionals) approved by a local or regional Investigational Review Board (IRB) and participating in outcome studies generated by the department of pharmacy and approved by the P&T Committee.
• Perform a full range of pharmacist procedures.
• Deliver comprehensive pharmaceutical services within the personnel, supply, and equipment capabilities of the facility.
• Counsel patients regarding appropriate use of medications.
• Review patient profiles at the time of dispensing in order to closely monitor medication therapy.
• Ensure prescription directions for use, dose, medication interactions, therapeutic duplications or overlaps, allergy information, age specific dosage, and other pertinent data are appropriate for individual patients. Intervention with providers shall be made for noted discrepancy of above listed items.
• Compound medications as required.
• Ensure accuracy of all pharmaceutical products prepared or processed by technical staff.
• Work closely with clinical staff in developing patient wellness programs such as smoking cessation programs and asthma classes.
• Provide medication information and medication therapy guidelines to the clinical staff as required.
• Provide medication and healthcare related in service training to clinical staff on new medications on the market; appropriate use of medications; comparison of current medication therapies; and other topics as deemed appropriate by the department head.
• Provide clinical direction to pharmacy personnel.
• Supervise inventory control of all pharmaceuticals in the pharmacy, especially scheduled pharmaceuticals, and ensure pharmacy security. Maintain appropriate records and security of all scheduled controlled substances according to applicable regulations.
• Consult with other specialty practitioners to provide optimal patient pharmaceutical care.
• Ensure that work areas are clean and safe according to applicable regulations.
• Document significant medication interactions, and pharmacy interactions with prescribers. Conduct Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting in accordance with TJC or AAAHC standards as appropriate.
• Facilitate medical staff drug utilization reviews (DURs) as deemed necessary.

Qualifications

• A current, valid, unrestricted license to practice Pharmacy in any one of the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• A Bachelors, Masters, or Doctoral degree in Pharmacy from a college of pharmacy accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE).
• Board certification in one or more of the pharmacy specialties recognized by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties, or
• Completion of a clinical pharmacy residency or fellowship accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists or American College of Clinical Pharmacy, or
• Documentation of appropriate education, training, and/or CME in the practice of clinical pharmacy.

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