Clinical Pharmacist

Clinical Pharmacist

The clinical pharmacist is a member of the primary care clinical team, engaging with patients and supports medical providers to optimize medication selection, dosing, and monitoring. The clinical pharmacist contributes to high-quality patient care by optimizing the use of medications, ensuring their safe distribution and administration, and contributes to the development of disease and drug specific clinical protocols. As a member of the healthcare team, the clinical pharmacist will utilize evidence-based resources to improve safety and efficacy of medication treatments, maximize patient adherence and promote evidence-based cost-effective care.

The Clinical Pharmacist will Chair the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and will work collaboratively with Medical Providers, Care Management and Nursing teams; and will serve as a subject matter expert on the Quality Improvement Committee.

Clinical Responsibilities:

• Provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care services, including medication therapy management, medication reviews, and incident-to billing services.
• Ensure accuracy, safety, and efficacy of dispensed prescriptions through thorough drug utilization review, interpretation of physician orders, and prescription verification.
• Contribute to timely quality care through collaborating and assisting the team in tasks as needed including patient phone consultation, patient facing in the clinic during a wellness visit.
• Key collaborator with Provider/Care Management team to Annual Wellness Visits and Medication Reconciliation for Transition of Care Visits.
• Assist with prior authorization requests and assist with unaffordable medication instances as it relates to patients who are not insured or undocumented populations who do not qualify for health insurance.
• Conducts quality chart audits to improve the Electronic Health System list of medications. Ensure list are up to date using E-Scribe when reconciling medication list at any given time.
• Clinical Pharmacist works collaboratively with Care Management Team and Quality Team in relation to patients who are identified in "gap to care" list for chronic conditions (such as diabetes or hypertension). The clinical pharmacist will actively work with the team using patient outreach techniques to conduct a medication review and engage patient back to care.
• Provide medication counseling to the patient, in compliance with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Guidelines (CMS), NYS Pharmacy Laws, Rules and Regulations: Article 137.
• Ensure patient has an accurate understanding of treatment purpose, duration, special instructions of use, and common adverse effects.
• Ensure medication safety through educating patients and community on proper storage, and disposal of medication
• Recommends and administers vaccines
• Identifies patients with barriers to medication adherence, collaborates with them to reduce barriers and improve adherence and conducts Social Determinate of Health Screening thus working collaboratively with Care Management Team to ensure all patient needs are met.
• Work collaboratively with primary care providers to establish and maintain a panel of chronic disease patients.

Teamwork:

• Utilize evidence based guidelines/professional judgement when reviewing medication interactions, contraindication and disease state precautions, then make appropriate recommendations to the provider prescribing medication to reduce risk and increase quality of medication treatment associated with chronic disease balance and prevention.
• Exhibit corresponding responsibility in regard to controlled substance prescriptions.
• Provide pharmacological information by answering questions and requests of health care professionals.
• Assist clinic staff in processing refill authorization requests, prior authorizations, and answering medication questions
• Monitor medication therapy, reviews charts, and makes recommendations to providers when necessary to optimize patient care.
• Active participant in projects related to National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). Providing evidence based knowledge around disease management/treatment/prevention with the ultimate goal in improving quality delivery of care. (Projects such as Million Hearts and Statin Therapy).
• Active participant in evaluating clinical data related with quality metrics and providing recommendations using evidence based criteria as SME for the Quality Improvement Committee.
• Active participant/resource for Annual Wellness visits and Chronic Disease/Care Management. Active participant with the Care Team to developing patient engaged plan of care.
• Participates and contributes to Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) measures, Key Performance Indicator goals instituted by Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare guidelines.
• Organize and direct pharmacy workflow to provide the highest level of quality care and service through the use of data/clinical measures in relation to medication therapies.
• Leads the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.

Teaching and Community Involvement:

• Works collaboratively with pharmacy students and or interns in a manner that will benefit their learning process and encourage them to become a strong member of the profession.
• Instruct and educate medical interns and resident providers to proper medication selection, dosing, storage, and patient education.
• Develop pharmacological knowledge of self & teammates by participating in educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks and participating in professional societies.
• Participate in training of ancillary pharmacy staff, and reinforces policies & procedures
• Operates within regulations, policies, and procedures to maintain compliance within pharmacy operations, 340B program, medication quality assurance, security, and disposal of hazardous waste medications.
• Acts as a resource to staff and the community regarding current trends medication therapies.

Quality of Service:

• Documents all patients encounters completely and in a timely manner. This includes proper documentation of phone calls, prescription, and if applicable, the complete dictation of patient visits for a session prior to leaving the health center.
• Adheres to clinical practice guidelines that are adopted by the specialty group or an appropriate committee.
• Keeps medical knowledge current through attendance at medical CE programs at least 25 hours per year.
• Maintains an acceptable level of compliance with clinical and regulatory standards including medical record documentation per Joint Commission standards.
• Demonstrates appropriate interactions toward patients in a manner that helps to put patients at ease.
• Actively supports the implementation of the Patient Centered Medical Home model of care at all clinical site.
• Complies with state and federal drug laws as regulated by the state board of pharmacy, the drug enforcement administration, and the food and drug administration
• Maintain safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, policies, and regulations.
• Demonstrates excellence in both internal and external customer service.
• Understands and is able to effectively communicate HIPAA compliance, corporate compliance and client confidentiality.
• Ensures and/or remains in compliance with local, state, and federal regulation, i.e. DHHS HRSA and NYSDOH, and all accreditation standards (e.g. Joint Commission and NCQA-PCMH).
• Adheres to the National Patient Safety Goals as defined by the Joint Commission and the Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Services.
• Completes other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE accredited school of pharmacy. Current NYS pharmacy license in good standing. Minimum of 1 year of ambulatory care experience in a clinical setting. Knowledge of incident to billing services. Excellent communication and customer service skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

Completion of Post-graduate year two Ambulatory Care Residency. Two (2) years of experience in a clinical setting. Bilingual/Multi-lingual abilities. Experience in Community Health. Experience in delivering culturally competent healthcare. Interest in on-going learning, best practice development, and education.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected status.

Salary range: $57.00 - $65.00 hourly