Clinical Pharmacist

UPMC Shadyside Pharmacy Department is looking to hire a Clinical Pharmacist on a full-time basis!

This position will involve training and rotating through various areas in our pharmacy department, including central pharmacy, UB/decentralized pharmacy, the ICU and oncology satellite.

• This role consists of primarily daylight hours with about 4-5 evening shifts per 4-week schedule; it will also require working every 3rd weekend.

Clinical Pharmacists are responsible and accountable for the provision of safe, effective, and efficient comprehensive medication management for specialized patient populations. They provide support of centralized and decentralized medication-use systems as well as deliver optimal medication therapy. Clinical Pharmacists provide direct patient-centered care and integrated pharmacy operational services in a clinical practice setting with physicians, nurses, and other members of the care team. These clinicians are aligned with interdisciplinary programs and services to provide comprehensive medication management to ensure clinical pharmacy is appropriately integrated in the care process. Clinical Pharmacists participate in all necessary aspects of the medication-use system while providing comprehensive and individualized clinical pharmacy services to patients. Clinical pharmacy services include but are not limited to assessing patient needs, incorporating age and disease specific characteristics into drug therapy and patient education, adjusting care according to patient response, and providing clinical interventions to detect, mitigate, and prevent medication adverse events. Clinical Pharmacists serve as departmental resources and liaisons to other departments, health care team members, or external groups. They also conduct clinical research and practice advancement projects in their area of expertise as well as support and/or lead patient care quality and regulatory compliance initiatives designed to improve medication-use processes or pharmacy practice. Clinical Pharmacists provide medication and practice-related education/training and actively serve as preceptors for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents. If applicable, participation in the quality initiatives is expected with the goal of improving clinical pharmacy services by monitoring processes, analyzing data, implementing interventions, and evaluating the effectiveness of those interventions.

Qualifications:

• Leads assigned patient service lines, clinical areas, and therapeutic programs.
• Facilitates pharmaceutical care services, direct patient care programs, medication utilization systems within assigned
services and care areas to assure drug utilization activities are aligned with patient care needs, evidence-based best
practices, and regulatory standards.
• Designs and implements stewardship activities and restriction/surveillance programs.
• Tracks and evaluates assigned pharmacy programs for operational, quality, and financial efficiency and routinely
benchmarks against local and national best practices.
• Actively identifies practice related issues which require evaluation and facilitate clinical research projects, quality
improvement initiatives, or healthcare provider education as needed to advance practice.
• Develops and oversees policies and procedures for drug purchasing, drug usage, drug distribution, and drug control.
• Assures pharmacy is an integral part of the health-care delivery system and facilitates enhancement and expansion of
pharmacy services/programs.
• Delivers direct patient care and clinical practice, including decentralized and service-based programs.
• Maintains proficiency in decentralized pharmacy services and clinical pharmacy programs.
• Works as an active member of multidisciplinary team and collaborates with healthcare providers within decentralized
patient care areas to provide patient-centered care o Identifies high-risk patients and implements interventions to
improve quality and safety.
• Makes appropriate evidence-based, patient-centered medication recommendations o Participates in the management
of medical emergencies.
• Provides discharge medication review, reconciliation, and counseling as appropriate.
• Provides pharmaceutical services throughout medical center.
• Maintains proficiency in hospital computer systems and medication ordering systems.
• Provides accurate, safe, timely, and appropriate medication therapy based on patient age and needs.
• Completes critical patient monitoring and reviews patient profile/chart to identify, prevent, or mitigate drug-related
problems, improper drug or dose selection, sub therapeutic dosage, over dosage, adverse drug reactions, drug
interactions, failure to receive drugs, untreated indications, medication use without an indication, and treatment failures.
• Communicates effectively and appropriately with healthcare providers and caregivers (physicians, nurses, etc.) and
assures continuity of pharmaceutical care between shifts and among staff o Actively participates in stewardship activities
and restricted medication programs.
• Participates in pharmacy operations and medication dispensing o Maintains proficiency in and actively engages in
operational programs, central dispensing pharmacies, satellite dispensing pharmacies, and specialty pharmacy areas as
appropriate for job assignment.
• Facilitates specialty medication procurement, ordering, and dispensing procedures including but not limited to
chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition, controlled substances, etc. as appropriate for assignment o Oversees pharmacy
operations and technician practice/activities.
• Facilitates experiential education and practice advancement.
• Maintains proficiency in preceptor roles and actively emulates education/mentorship skills.
• Develops student, resident, and staff training experiences/competencies and creates new relationships for teaching
and training opportunities.
• Identifies, designs, and implements improvements in the medication-use system to advance patient safety, maximize
therapeutic outcomes, or control costs.


*Performs in accordance with system-wide competencies/behaviors.
*Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications - Internal

• Graduate of an ACPE accredited College of Pharmacy
• B.S. degree in Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree; PharmD preferred.
• Required: Current licensure as a pharmacist in practicing state
• Completion of ASHP accredited PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency or 3 years clinical pharmacy experience
• Knowledge and expertise in advanced pharmacy practice and service, comprehensive medication management, and
evidence-based medicine in specialized area appropriate for clinical assignments
• BPS Board Certification preferred.


Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:

• Pharmacist

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran