Clinical Pharmacist

Job Title

Pharmacy Technician

Major Duties

A. Medication Dispensing and Distribution

• Inpatient/outpatient orders are checked to include patient information, correct medication dose, route, and frequency of administration. Orders are checked for patient allergies, drug interactions, incompatibilities, duplication, and priority.
• Identifies, interprets, and resolves prescribing and dispensing issues, including pharmacotherapeutics and the formulary. Documents clinical activities and workload in a timely and professional manner, including completion of all consults and encounter forms.
• Participates with decisions and actions with respect to the evaluation, procurement, storage, distribution of medications. Ensures appropriate storage conditions for medications including temperature monitoring of refrigerated medications.
• Dispenses controlled substances with accuracy according to current policies and procedures for inpatients and outpatients.

B. Clinical

• Participate in daily multidisciplinary team rounds (when applicable) and provide drug information, observations on patient response to therapy, and appropriate recommendations regarding treatment alternatives or additional interventions to maximize patient care outcomes taking into consideration choice of therapy, safety, efficacy, and pharmacoeconomics.
• Interviews and evaluates patients upon admission to the hospital and daily during hospitalization for appropriateness of pharmacologic therapy and makes a pharmaceutical care plan for those patients who need pharmaceutical care and will document the pharmaceutical care plan in the pharmacy initial assessment or progress note.
• Provides care and/or services appropriate to the population of the patients being served. Assesses data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to their population-specific needs and to provide care needed as described in the services' policies and procedures.
• Provides consultative services to all professional staff regarding drug therapy.
• Designs and/or participates in research studies or outcomes research involving drug therapy or clinical pharmacy functions.
• Reviews and evaluates requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable.
• Responds to patients' codes as assigned.
• Contact appropriate providers if lab calls with critical lab values.

C. Education

• Serves as a preceptor when appropriate for the students and residents at the VA San Diego Healthcare System
• Participates in self-development activities to maintain and increase professional competence.
• Participates in the development of administrative and clinical pharmacy research protocols, activities, or projects (when applicable) which may ultimately serve to upgrade the quality of patient care provided by the VA San Diego Medical center.
• Effectively instructs patients and family members upon discharge in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices. Is able to adjust communication and tracking methods based on population and developmental considerations. Is able to accurately assess and document patient comprehension. Is able to refer patients to educational programs provided at the medical center by multidisciplinary teams.
• Participates in the development and implementation of formal and informal drug education/clinical consultation to medical, surgical, nursing, and pharmacy staff in the form of inservices and continuing education programs.
• Interfaces with other health-care providers and administrators to ensure compliance with established pharmacy and medical center policies and procedures.

D. Administration/Technical Support

• Participates in Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting.
• Works with other health care providers to develop programs for improvement of drug use.
• Participates in drug usage evaluations and cost reductions/cost avoidance measures as assigned from both cost and patient outcome perspectives.
• Performs monitoring of clinical outcomes and reporting of compliance for high-risk and narrow therapeutic index drugs as assigned.
• Manages the hospital formulary and ensures its appropriate utilization by health care providers.
• Participates in effective quality assurance programs for the service that meets the changing service, patient, and Medical Center needs.
• Accurately completes all assignments in a timely manner as assigned
• Effectively manages and supervises technical support in the areas of clinical responsibilities.

Work Schedule: M-F, variable shifts, rotated holidays/weekends

Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized

Telework: Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #:

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

US Department of Veterans Affairs