Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Operations Manager

Pharmacy Manager For Ambulatory Care Operations

The Pharmacy Manager for Ambulatory Care Operations will provide oversight of day-to-day outpatient pharmacy operations for General Hospital Pharmacy, Discharge Pharmacy, and Stead Family Children's Level 2 pharmacy. Responsibilities include operational management, assurance of compliance with laws and regulations, implementation of projects and new business opportunities, and participation on department and hospital committees. The manager will also provide leadership and development to clinical pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and support staff in the pharmacy locations.

This position will collaborate with leadership and staff to promote safe, optimal and cost-effective medication use processes. This position will work closely with ambulatory pharmacy leadership team to improve patient safety through innovations in technology and new program development and implementation. These activities require effective communication, organizational skills, strategic planning, personnel supervision, data management and reporting, process evaluation and improvement, and staff development/training. A considerable amount of innovation, independence, creativity, and flexibility are required in the decision making and problem-solving process.

Position Responsibilities:

• Assists in the planning of the delivery and improvement of clinical ambulatory pharmacy services, programs and personnel both on and off campus. Assigns tasks to staff and monitors individual and team progress.
• Assists ambulatory care pharmacy managers to coordinate the overall ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services and to identify and evaluate outcomes measures to maximize productivity, clinical outcomes, and financial impact.
• Works with the appropriate ambulatory care pharmacy managers to coordinate ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services with physicians, nursing, laboratory, and other personnel and develop and assist in the implementation of clinical pathways and therapeutic guidelines. Provides guidance and oversight for ambulatory care clinical pharmacy operations.
• Works with the ambulatory care pharmacy leadership team and clinical pharmacy specialists in the development and implementation of staff competencies and credentialing within ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services.
• Ensures compliance with regulations and accreditation standards related to the provision of pharmacy services.
• Creates an environment that encourages high performance and teamwork.
• Works with members of the pharmacy team and other departments to implement systems for patient care.

Education

• Educates clinic providers and staff as well as external parties regarding services provided by ambulatory care pharmacy staff.
• Develops understanding and provides education as needed related to other services provided within the clinics.
• Serves as a preceptor for pharmacy students and residents.
• Provides didactic education at College of Pharmacy as needed and appropriate.
• Creates synergy between practice initiatives and PharmD student and resident rotations.
• Communicates new services or procedures to pharmacy staff and others who may be affected.

Health Care System Improvement

• Evaluates problems/concerns identified by staff in collaboration with leadership team to create a safe and effective solution to meet the clinical service goals of the Department and UI Health Care.
• Participates in developing, monitoring, and reporting pharmacy practice standards for the department of pharmacy.
• Provides guidance regarding appropriate expenditure of time and resources for ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services.
• Collaborates with departmental leaders and clinical area leaders to identify high priority outcomes that are actionable by pharmacists who provide ambulatory care clinical services.
• Participates in the planning and implementation of new programs and services.
• Evaluates and analyzes projects, develops project specifications, and creates and implements project plans to successfully meet goals and objectives.
• Plans, implements, and evaluates new clinical and technical processes including multi-disciplinary groups for program/service.

Compliance and Regulatory Management

• Ensures compliance with regulatory standards.
• Assists in evaluation of new medication therapies.
• Involves staff in department quality improvement initiatives.
• Serves as consultant on medication safety and serves on standing committees as needed.
• Provides consultation on department medication safety initiatives and works with team to implement hospital-wide safety initiatives.
• Helps to ensure compliance with accreditation standards and with federal, state, and local regulations related to medication safety.

Human Resource Management

• Hires, develops, and manages the performance of staff.
• Coordinates and leads team and staff meetings for assigned areas of responsibility.
• Assures staff are compliant with UI policies and procedures, laws and regulations.
• Supervises clinical pharmacy specialists.
• Conducts evaluations on personal performance at the workplace and recommends improvement plans.
• Works with staff on an ongoing basis to improve performance, guides and coaches staff in solving problems which arise in a day-to-day routine.
• Collaborates with the appropriate ambulatory care pharmacy managers to coordinate scheduling and coverage of ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services.
• Monitors the progress of assignments and performance of daily responsibilities for all assigned personnel, coaches and disciplines staff as necessary.
• Measures employee satisfaction and implementation of improvement initiatives.

Financial Management

• Understands billing processes for take-home prescriptions and medications dispensed and administered in the clinics.
• Assists with development of mechanisms to monitor revenue integrity in the clinics.
• Assists with gathering of information on supporting charges or drug utilization.
• Assists with standardized process for medication assistance programs for clinic-administered medications.

Technical Competencies:

Accountability

• Creates a team environment of accountability and commitment for reaching project goals.
• Responsiveness to concerns identified by department leadership.
• Reinforces positive contributions and recommends adjustments for improving outcomes.
• Documents knowledge that can be transferred to others.
• Helps others identify and work around problems that could impede progress.

Decision Making and Critical Thinking

• Assists in assessing risks, benefits and consideration of alternatives.
• Recognizes, clarifies, and prioritizes concerns.
• Identifies, obtains, and organizes relevant data and ideas.

Drug Utilization and Review (DUR) / Business Intelligence

• Helps in DUR planning.
• Participates in collecting and evaluating data to identify drug use problems.
• Keeps current with outpatient reimbursement guidelines and trends, and recommends changes as needed.

Effective Communications

• Communicates well downward, upward, and outward.
• Adapts documents and presentations for intended audience.
• Maintains focus on the topic at hand.

Education Requirements:

• Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
• Current license or eligibility to be licensed as Pharmacist by Iowa Board of Pharmacy.

Experience Requirements:

• Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1/PGY2 Residency or minimum of five (5) years of experience working in a complex clinical pharmacy environment.
• Ability and willingness to act as preceptor.
• Job-related experience with and/or commitment to service excellence is required.
• Professional experience working effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interest in ambulatory care.

Desired Qualifications:

• Job-related experience in ambulatory care pharmacy.
• A Master of Science in Pharmacy or healthcare/management related advanced degree such as an MHA, MPH or MBA is desirable.
• Experience with automation/technology, human resources management, project management and Epic electronic health record is highly desirable.
• Board of Pharmacy Specialties certification is highly desirable.