Job Information
UPMC Clinical Pharmacist Specialist-Internal Medicine in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Clinical Pharmacist Specialists work as part of a patient care team, focusing on safe and effective medication management for specialized patient populations. They provide direct patient-centered care, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, and ensure clinical pharmacy services are integrated into the care process. Their responsibilities include assessing patient needs, adjusting drug therapy, and preventing medication adverse events. Additionally, they conduct research, support quality initiatives, and provide education and training.
Eligible candidates will be offered a sign-on bonus of up to $10,000 based on their years of experience!
Responsibilities:
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
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
Actively participates in stewardship activities and restricted medication programs
Participates in pharmacy operations and medication dispensing
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
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
Graduate of an ACPE accredited College of Pharmacy
B.S. degree in Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree; PharmD preferred.
Required: Current licensure as a Pharmacist in practicing state
Completion of ASHP accredited PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency OR PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency plus 3 years clinical pharmacy experience in a specialized area OR 6 years clinical pharmacy experience in a specialized area.
Specialized 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**Currently BPS recognizes fourteen specialties: ambulatory care pharmacy, cardiology pharmacy, compounded sterile preparations pharmacy, critical care pharmacy, emergency medicine pharmacy, geriatric pharmacy, infectious diseases pharmacy, nuclear pharmacy, nutrition support pharmacy, oncology pharmacy, pediatric pharmacy, pharmacotherapy, psychiatric pharmacy and solid organ transplantation pharmacy
Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:
Registered pharmacist with Pennsylvania licensure/eligibility.
Pharmacist
Act 34 with renewal
UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran