Pharmacist Clin Specialist - Critical Care (Full Time, Lynchburg General Hospital)

The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist is responsible and accountable for the provision of safe, effective, and prompt medication therapy and for delivering optimal medication therapy to patients with a broad range of disease states. The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist proficiently provide direct patient-centered care in a decentralized practice setting with physicians, nurses, and other members of the healthcare team while being aligned with target interdisciplinary programs. The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist provides comprehensive and individualized pharmaceutical care to the patients in their assigned areas. The care includes but is not limited to assessing patient needs, considering age and disease specific characteristics into drug therapy and adjust care according to patient response. They provide clinical interventions to detect, mitigate, and prevent medication adverse events. The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist serves as a departmental resource and liaison to other departments, hospital personnel, or outside groups. They conduct practice advancement projects and patient care quality and regulatory compliance initiatives designed to improve the medication-use processes or pharmacy practice. The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist provides medication and practice-related education and training and actively serve as preceptors for Doctor of Pharmacy Students and pharmacy residents in their practice area.

*Practice Area: Critical Care

Responsibilities

• Consults with medical staff to design custom drug regimens based on specific patient parameters including weight fluid status renal function liver function and disease state that minimize drug toxicity and optimize outcomes. Recommends and monitors therapy.
• Completes critical patient monitoring and reviews patient profile to identify, prevent, or mitigate drug-related problems, improper drug or dose selection, sub therapeutic dosage, over dosage, adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, untreated indications, medication use without an indication, and treatment failures.
• Evaluates medication orders for appropriate indication, dose, route, strength, dosage form, and frequency of administration in relation to the medication history and current medication orders utilizing advanced clinical pharmacy knowledge.
• Formulates total parenteral nutrition based on specific patient parameters including calorie consumption, fluid status, electrolyte balance, acid-base status, organ function and disease state; monitors daily for adjustments.
• Performs pain assessments and designs pain management care plans. Makes recommendations and monitors therapy.
• Participates in antibiotic stewardship program and other restricted medication programs.
• Communicates effectively and appropriately with caregivers and assures continuity between transitions of care.
• Delivers direct patient care and clinical practice, by working as an active member of a multidisciplinary team and collaborates with healthcare providers within decentralized patient care areas to provide patient-centered care programs.
• Makes appropriate evidence-based, patient-centered medication recommendations.
• Responds to medical emergencies (code blue) and assists as needed.
• Facilitates pharmacy care services and medication utilization systems in assigned practice area to assure drug utilization activities are aligned with patient care needs, evidence-based best practices, and regulatory standards.
• 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.
• Provides instruction on pharmacotherapy to nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and other learners by speaking publicly using evidence-based literature.
• Evaluates medical literature. Performs medication use evaluations. Manages investigational drug studies.
• Facilitates experiential education and practice advancement by maintaining proficiency in preceptor roles and emulating education and mentorship skills; precepts pharmacy residents in practice area, as well as supporting longitudinal rotations and attending resident presentations.
• Develops IPPE and APPE 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.
• Provides timely and accurate drug information to prescribers and nursing personnel.
• Recognizes medication errors, adverse drug events files complete reports, analyzes causes, evaluates alternative strategies for avoidance, and makes recommendations for improvement.
• Coaches and trains new personnel, residents, interns, and other students. Precepts pharmacy residents during practice site rotation, as well as supporting longitudinal rotations and attending resident presentations; serves on Residency Advisory Committee
• Performs any duties of a pharmacist as required

Other Functions

• Serves as a member of various committees when needed.
• Maintains strict confidentiality of all information, including financial/operational, employee/human resource, healthcare/patient data and information.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• This role oversees and verifies the work of pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns.

Required Qualifications

• Doctor degree in pharmacy (PharmD) - Graduate from an accredited school of pharmacy.
• Either three years of clinical pharmacy practice experience or ASHP Hospital residency (Post Graduate Year 1 – PGY1)
• Competent to accept any clinical pharmacy assignment and work independently.
• Certified by Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BCPS certification) (Certification must be completed within 1 year of hire if not previously completed) Must be renewed at least every eight years.
• Licensed to practice pharmacy in the state of Virginia.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
• Advanced residency - ASHP Post Graduate Year 2 (PGY2)

Salary Range: $63.79 - $95.69 per hour