Pharmacist

Clinical Pharmacist

This role's schedule is 7 on 7 off working 10 - 12-hour shifts depending on organizational needs.

This position is located in the Pharmacy Department of the Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System. The employee serves as a clinical pharmacist providing quality pharmaceutical services to eligible patients in accordance with Federal and State law and accepted ethical standards. Work is performed on an assigned basis with most working hours occurring Monday through Friday during normal daytime business hours; however, shift changes will be required to allow pharmacist coverage during all hours of operation. Incumbent may be required to work on a rotational basis for shift, weekend and holiday duty as needed and assigned.

Specific Job Duties/Responsibilities:

• Demonstrates the Winnebago Comprehensive Healthcare System core mission, vision, and values.

Routine Pharmacist Duties

• Those duties that are performed on a regular basis and which involve direct patient care.
• Examples of such duties are as follows: Selects, procures, prepares, and dispenses only those medications that conform to standards of quality for potency, purity, and effectiveness at the time they are administered or used by the patient.
• Responsible for proper interpretation of prescriptions and the dispensing of medications and drugs as prescribed.
• Reviews patient medical records for safety, appropriateness, and effectiveness of drug therapy by alerting medical staff to any prescription or dosage that can be harmful or dangerous to patients.
• Specifies and labels directions and precautions to assure proper protection of the contents and protection of the patient.
• Properly stores and protects drugs and chemicals to prevent reactions from external influences such as light, temperature, humidity, or interaction with the container.
• Consults and provides a wide range of drug information to the community and clinic staff.
• Counsels patients on the use, storage, cautions and side effects of all medications dispensed as well as documentation of cognitive services provided.
• Interview patients to ascertain significant past medical history and medication history. Evaluate medication regimens for appropriateness, drug interactions, therapeutic duplications, non-compliance and adverse drug events.
• Restocks the automated dispensing machines and areas and performs daily maintenance functions on automated equipment. The pharmacist is also responsible for maintaining their login to the automated cabinets.
• The pharmacist is responsible for keeping an accurate count of medications, especially controlled medications, to prevent diversion of medications through theft and fraud and prescription drug abuse.
• Routine duties shall include providing pharmacy and drug information services to individuals eligible for services in homes, schools, clinics, job sites, and other community locations with the area.

Clinical Pharmacist Duties:

• Those duties that are performed in addition to routine pharmacist duties depending on staffing availability as well as pharmacist national/local credentialing:
• Attends multidisciplinary and improvement meetings as assigned and works with the designated care team.
• Conducts clinic-authorized outpatient pharmacy clinics (i.e., Coumadin clinic, Tobacco cessation, Hepatitis C) following appropriate national and/or local training as well as established facility policies and procedures.
• Takes the appropriate health history, performs limited physical assessment, follows and adjusts the developed treatment plan, and monitors the patient's outcome to the prescribed treatment plan related to the specialized pharmacy clinics. Discriminates between normal and abnormal findings and alerts provider when necessary.
• Document all clinical activities, update problem lists, and update medication allergy information in the medical records.
• May order and interpret laboratory tests as related to the specialized pharmacy clinics.
• Provide pharmaceutical services to focus on therapeutic drug monitoring. Analyze medication regimens to ensure the most effective, least toxic, and most economical treatment plan.
• Serve as a therapeutic consultant to the medical staff.

Education duties

• Provide formal and informal education and in-services to medical staff, pharmacy, and nursing staff, as requested.
• Provide training for pharmacy students.
• Provide orientation to nurses and medical providers.
• Provide education to patients and their families about medications, common disease states and information on health promotion.

Performance Improvement duties

• Collaborates with other health professionals to develop treatment protocols, standards of practice, and policies.
• Participate in ongoing quality assurance and performance improvement activities including audits, chart reviews, and development of review criteria.
• Participate in peer reviews and workload assessments.

Required Qualifications/Skills:

• A broad professional knowledge of the theories, principles, practice, and techniques of clinical and basic pharmacy to provide direct patient services.
• Knowledge of the physical and chemical properties and characteristics of substances, therapeutic action of drugs, and the principles of chemical, biological, pharmacological, and biopharmaceutical science.
• Knowledge in planning, monitoring, and evaluation of drug therapy in a clinical setting.
• Knowledge of appropriate resource and reference material and their use.
• Knowledge of all aspects of pharmacy general operations, including but not limited to electronic charting and prescriptions processing along with general pharmacy automation.
• Ability to collect, organize, record, and communicate in a meaningful way relevant primary health assessments, medical history, and physical findings, and selective laboratory tests to function as an independent practitioner within the medical staff approved pharmacy clinics.
• Ability to communicate with patients regarding the disease state, desired outcomes, laboratory tests, proper administration, use, actions, precautions, and storage of their medications.
• Ability to communicate with other health providers in regard to the total treatment of the patient.
• Ability to work independently, to plan, coordinate, and implement projects and to complete projects on schedule.

Responsibilities:

• Works under the general supervision of the Pharmacy Director who plans the program, determines policy, and sets the overall objectives and priorities. The employee is self-directed and must exercise latitude in planning and carry out of health care assignments that may involve undertaking new procedures, practices, and approaches. The employee must consult with other members of the medical staff on a routine basis to develop the best treatment plan for patients. The employee has the responsibility for planning and carrying out these objectives independently and interpreting policy on own their own initiative in terms of established objectives. The employee keeps the supervisor informed of progress and potentially controversial matters. Completed work is reviewed and evaluated only periodically and from an overall standpoint. The professional work is reviewed on the basis of effectiveness and compatibility in providing pharmacy services.

Complexity:

• The work includes pharmacy duties involving different and unrelated processes and methods. The decision regarding what needs to be done depends on the issues involved in each assignment. The work required independent judgment wherein error could result in adverse patient outcomes. Work covers assessments, medical history, development, and implementing of care plans, evaluation of effectiveness, and modification or change of treatment. Identifies fine differences between drugs as they relate to the therapeutic efficacy of the product. Prior to dispensing, reviews the patient's medical record for therapeutic appropriateness including diagnosis/treatment and patient allergy (drug interaction screening). As necessary, suggests alternative medications to avoid incompatibilities, alleviate side effects, overcome potentiating drug combinations, and prevent antagonistic reactions. Position must be able to provide pharmaceutical care services and drug information to all medical specialists within the facility.

Personal Contacts:

• Contacts are with staff members and health care professionals in the health center and hospital; with outpatients, families, community and tribal leaders, community health representatives, and the general public. Contacts are also with business representatives, drug industry representatives, and professional organizations. May serve as a preceptor for students and provides educational programs to the health professional staff, specific patients, and/or tribal groups as requested by their supervisor. Represents the pharmacy in meetings with other professional organizations, public meetings, or drug industry representatives.

Training Requirements:

• Must attend all department meetings and trainings as directed by supervisor.
• Physical Requirements:
• Manual dexterity with cooperatively free range of motion of all extremities including neck, fingers, hands, wrists, elbows, arms, shoulders, waist, legs, hips, knee joints, ankles, and feet is required.
• Regularly required to walk, stand, and sit for extended periods of time and use hands to operate computer keyboard, phone, and various office equipment.
• Normal to medium work which includes the ability to lift up to 30 lbs.
• While performing daily duties, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear.