Pharmacist in Charge (PIC)

The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD ("The HARRIS CENTER") is looking for a Pharmacist in Charge to embark on a rewarding healthcare career! The Pharmacist-in-Charge (PIC) is responsible for the overall management, supervision, and regulatory compliance of pharmacy services within The Harris Center's inpatient setting. The PIC provides leadership and oversight of medication-use systems, pharmacy operations, clinical pharmacy services, pharmaceutical care, and medication distribution processes to ensure safe, effective, and compliant patient care.
The PIC supervises and develops pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and support personnel while ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations, accreditation standards, and organizational policies and procedures. This position promotes a culture of medication safety, quality improvement, and interdisciplinary collaboration through active participation in hospital committees, strategic initiatives, and performance improvement activities.
The PIC is responsible for the oversight of inpatient pharmacy operations, including medication order verification, automated dispensing systems, medication administration record (MAR) processes, controlled substance management, medication storage and distribution systems, and regulatory readiness. The PIC collaborates with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to optimize medication therapy outcomes for individuals receiving behavioral health, intellectual and developmental disability, and related healthcare services.
The PIC devotes sufficient time to administrative, operational, and clinical responsibilities to ensure effective department management and continuous quality improvement. The PIC, or a designated pharmacist, remains available on-call 24 hours per day, seven days per week to address urgent pharmacy operational, clinical, and regulatory issues.
This position requires frequent interaction with executive leadership, medical staff, nursing leadership, regulatory agencies, patients, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals to support the organization's mission and ensure excellence in patient care.

Your role in Action:

Regulatory Compliance and Accreditation
• Serves as the designated Pharmacist-in-Charge in accordance with applicable state pharmacy laws and regulations.
• Ensures compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, including DEA, FDA, CMS, Board of Pharmacy, and The Harris Center requirements.
• Maintains pharmacy licenses, permits, registrations, and required documentation.
• Develops, implements, and monitors pharmacy policies, procedures, and standards of practice.
• Coordinates responses to regulatory inspections, audits, and accreditation surveys .

Pharmacy Operations
• Oversees daily inpatient pharmacy operations, including medication order verification, automated dispensing cabinets, controlled substance management, and medication distribution systems.
• Ensures adequate staffing and workflow processes to support safe and efficient patient care.
• Monitors pharmacy productivity, operational metrics, and service excellence indicators.
• Oversees inventory management activities, including medication procurement, storage, shortages, recalls, and waste reduction initiatives.
• Ensures appropriate maintenance and oversight of pharmacy technologies and medication-use systems.

Clinical and Medication Safety Leadership
• Promotes a culture of medication safety throughout the organization.
• Oversees medication error reporting, investigation, and corrective action planning.
• Participates in development and implementation of medication-use policies, clinical protocols, and evidence-based practices.
• Collaborates with medical staff, nursing leadership, and other stakeholders to improve medication management processes.
• Leads continuous quality improvement initiatives focused on patient safety and regulatory compliance.

Personnel Management
• Supervises pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and support personnel as assigned.
• Conducts hiring, onboarding, performance evaluations, coaching, and disciplinary actions.
• Ensures staff competency, training, and compliance with continuing education requirements.
• Develops employee engagement and professional development plans to support staff growth and retention.

Financial and Strategic Responsibilities
• Establishes inventory control procedures that ensure adequate stock, prevent diversion, remove expired drugs and update pricing.
• Evaluates pharmacy expenditures and identifies opportunities for operational efficiencies and cost savings.
• Supports implementation of strategic initiatives that align with organizational goals.
• Monitors pharmaceutical utilization and expense trends and recommends optimization strategies.

Committee and Organizational Leadership
• Serves as a key member of pharmacy leadership and appropriate agency committees.
• Provides support and recommendations to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee. Participates in medication-use evaluation activities and formulary management processes.
• Collaborates with organizational leaders to improve quality, safety, and patient outcomes.

What Qualifications you need:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree (B.A.) or equivalent
• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an accredited college of pharmacy.
• Licensed as a Pharmacist in the State of Texas
• Current unrestricted pharmacist license in the state of practice .

Experience:

• Minimum of two years of hospital pharmacy experience .
• Demonstrated knowledge of inpatient pharmacy operations, regulatory requirements, and medication safety principles.
• Experience with electronic health records, automated dispensing systems, and pharmacy informatics

Required Knowledge, Skills/Abilities:

• Comprehensive knowledge of hospital pharmacy operations and medication-use systems.
• Effective leadership, communication, and team-building skills.
• Ability to analyze operational and clinical data to drive improvements.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and project management skills.
• Commitment to patient safety, quality improvement, and excellence in patient care.

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What we have to offer:

The Harris Center not only offers a competitive salary but also a suite of excellent benefits designed to enrich your life both professionally and personally. Imagine a future with a robust retirement plan complemented by our generous company matching - a testament to our investment in your long-term financial well-being. Experience the unique advantage of our prior service credit, accelerating your journey towards a more substantial Paid Time Off accrual, empowering you to enjoy well-deserved breaks.

Enjoy Cell Phone Discounts, exclusive entertainment deals through Tickets at Work, and a free Headspace subscription for mental wellness. Additionally, our Employee Assistance Program supports your overall well-being.

Take advantage of significant financial relief through student loan forgiveness as a valued member of The Harris Center team. As a qualifying entity, our employees are eligible for various student loan forgiveness programs, designed to alleviate the financial burdens associated with higher education.

What else you should know:

• This posting is associated with position #2007

About us:

The Harris Center is the state-designated Local Mental Health Authority and Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) Authority serving Harris County, Texas. As the largest behavioral and developmental disability care center in Texas, The Harris Center provides care to over 90,000 people and has an annual budget of over $300 million.

As part of its mission to transform the lives of people with behavioral health and IDD needs in the third largest county in the United States, The Harris Center provides a full continuum of services at 80 different sites across Harris County. In addition, services are provided in more than 40 different languages as well as sign language in order to better serve what is one of the largest communities in the nation.

By utilizing the unique expertise of its more than 2,500 employees, The Harris Center is committed to meeting the behavioral health and IDD needs of Harris County residents and giving them hope to live to their fullest potential.

Contributes to suicide care and prevention by embracing our values and applying a trauma-informed approach rooted in safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.