Pharmacist - Inpatient

Pharmacist - Inpatient

WRNMMC Bethesda, MD

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

• Daily interactions with prescribers, pharmacist interventions, counter detailing, formulary review, target drug programs, drug utilization and cost effectiveness studies (DUE/DUR), patient education, prevention of adverse outcomes, monitoring for poly-pharmacy patients, monitoring for controlled substance overuse/misuse, etc.
• Serve as the MTF expert on pharmaceuticals, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapeutics, using an extensive and intensive knowledge of the drugs and other pharmaceuticals available, their nature, action, and interaction, provides authoritative instructions, advice, and assistance to prescribing and dispensing officials on effectiveness, suitability, hazards, and other aspects of their use.
• Develop, with the attending physician, pharmacotherapeutic regimens for especially difficult or complex cases, of particular concern are cases involving multiple serious or life-threatening conditions with conflicting drug requirements, serous drug reactions or interactions, or other factors not receptive to standard or more common specialized approaches. Monitors progress and response to the regimen, modifying dosages or methods of administering as necessary. In emergency situations may change medications or significantly alter regimen without prior approval of physician, but subject to post action review.
• Participate in, conduct, or approve studies involving pharmaceuticals and pharmacy-related issues. Design and conduct studies intended to evaluate particular drugs, their effectiveness and suitability, or to study the reaction of diseases, patients, and conditions to drug-based treatment.
• Reviews and approves pharmacy aspects of all protocols and investigative studies. Closely monitors and controls pharmacy aspects of all experimental and investigative drug use. The pharmacist shall prepare related reports and documentation.
• Prepare and conduct or oversee training of physicians, pharmacists, and other health care providers on the use of drugs and other pharmaceuticals. Monitor training of residents, interns, and fellows to ensure drug related issues are fully and correctly dealt with in their curriculum and that the required levels of skill have been attained. The pharmacist may act as a preceptor to new pharmacists, pharmacy residents, technicians and supportive personnel assigned to his/her area.
• Recommend or initiate changes and updates to instructions, regulations and other guidance as needed.
• Assist with the development of new protocols and procedures to improve operations and patient care as requested by the Chief of Inpatient Pharmacy.
• Serve on workgroups and committees throughout the department, and/or represent the department of pharmacy on workgroups and committees throughout the hospital, as requested by the Chief of Inpatient Pharmacy.
• Keep his/her basic pharmacy skills and knowledge current through occasional familiarization rotations in the various Pharmacy Service sections, which include inpatient, outpatient support, and administration. Those basic skills and knowledge will include but are not limited to the following:
• Checking prescriptions for patient eligibility, drug availability, usage, dosage, mode and rate of administration, completeness of directions and possible incompatibilities noted from referencing the patient's medication profile.
• Filling prescriptions, including controlled drug prescriptions, by selecting the correct drug and dosage form, reducing the drug from bulk to the quantity prescribed, compounding when necessary, and packaging the drug in appropriate container.
• Exercising care in the dispensing of drugs, especially controlled substances, to assure that legal and agency regulations and instructions are followed, that proper and complete record keeping is maintained, and that the drug storage areas are stocked safe, and secure.
• Notifying the prescriber, who may be on staff or a community physician, when there are questionable dosages or possible therapeutic incompatibilities based on a review of the patient's medication profile?
• Consulting with an advising nurses and members of the medical staff on matters such as contraindications, side-effects, and antagonistic reactions; and suggest alternative medications as appropriate.
• Determining the validity of drugs prescribed by the numerous physician extenders, ensuring the drug prescribed is on the particular physician extender's list.
• Furnishing guidance to prescribing physicians on current Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee policies, applicable federal and state laws, army formulas, new preparations, drugs of choice, methods of compounding non-standard preparations and special formulas suggested or requested by the professional medical staff.
• The pharmacist shall be checking the work of pharmacy technicians to assure that all drugs dispensed are properly labeled and packaged, and that directions for use and cautions, when necessary, are complete before the drug is dispensed to the patient.
• Annotating both prescriptions and prescription labels with initials and/or numbered stamp to show dispensing check has been performed.
• Dispensing prescriptions to patients and counseling them concerning their medications, i.e., uses, side effects, directions, etc.
• The pharmacist shall routinely refer to standard reference texts and journals to keep abreast of current trends, new drugs, and new uses and current drugs.
• The pharmacist shall request prescriber, usually by telephone to confirm information shown on prescriptions, e.g., when drug strength is questionable.
• Interpreting and evaluating unit dose orders, detecting potential therapeutic incompatibilities and errors, and ensuring unit dose orders are picked up from nursing units. Reviewing and approving technicians' work.
• Entering orders into computerized or manual patient profiles, placing medications into unit dose cassettes, and deliver them to nursing units.
• The pharmacist shall interpret sterile product orders, detecting therapeutic problems, employing sterile techniques in the preparation of them, accurately preparing products and monitoring for particular material.
• Ensuring immediate supervisor is kept informed, set priorities resolving problems and unusual requests, assigning required task to subordinates, providing on-the-job training and professional guidance to technicians. Pharmacists shall provide drug information to professional staff in a timely manner.
• Authenticating all established records as required by Pharmacy SOP's documenting work units, documenting medication errors and maintaining prescription files to include controlled drugs and investigational drugs.
• Providing technical guidance to and acting as preceptor for pharmacy technicians, interns, and residents.
• Pharmacists shall provide technicians(s), interns, and residents under his/her technical guidance.
• Compounding medications for inpatient or outpatient use which require extemporaneous manufacturing procedures.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum of one (1) year of experience as a Clinical Pharmacist.
• Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.).
• Graduate from a college or university accredited by the Accreditation Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE).
• Completion of a clinical pharmacy residency or fellowship accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists or American College of Clinical Pharmacy or documentation of appropriate education, training, and/or CME in the practice of clinical pharmacy.
• Current, full, active, and unrestricted license to practice as a pharmacist.

• Must be a US Citizen.

Potomac Healthcare Solutions offers the following benefits:

• Medical Insurance with PPO and HSA Options (United Healthcare)
• Dental Insurance (Humana)*
• Vision Insurance (Humana)*
• 401(k) with Employer Match
• Health Savings Account with Employer Match
• Prescription Drug Program
• Employer Paid Life Insurance and Short-Term Disability (Mutual of Omaha)*
• Voluntary Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability (Mutual of Omaha)*
• Relocation Assistance
• 10 Days Paid Time Off
• 11 Federal Holidays
• Continuing Education Assistance/License Reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellness Incentives and More

NOTE: *Effective the 1st day of the month following start date

About Potomac Healthcare Solutions:
Potomac Healthcare Solutions is an award-winning, dynamic, and rapidly growing healthcare services company with a proven background in providing world-class health services for both government and commercial organizations. We are actively recruiting skilled, caring practitioners to support our rapidly growing program base and supported healthcare facilities. If you would like to be a part of a quality-driven organization and make a difference, we would like to talk to you!

If you do not find interest in this opportunity but know of someone who may, we kindly ask that you refer the individual to Potomac Healthcare Solutions by forwarding this job posting.


Potomac Healthcare Solutions, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.