Clinical Pharmacist - Cardiothoracic Transplant MGH

The Cardiothoracic Transplant Clinical pharmacist will rotate through the inpatient and ambulatory heart and lung transplant service lines, serving as an expert of transplant pharmacotherapy for the interdisciplinary transplant teams.

This position requires application of advanced transplant training to lead immunosuppressive and opportunistic infection discussion on interdisciplinary rounds, transplant education for patients and healthcare professionals, transplant protocols and guidelines, quality improvement and research projects, and transplant training for the PGY-2 transplant resident and additional learners.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsible for the optimization of drug therapy by identification, resolution, and prevention of drug related problems and improving therapeutic outcomes.
• Responsible for providing direct or indirect patient care according to the laws and regulations governing pharmacists and the practice of pharmacy by the appropriate state and federal agencies.
• When assigned to particular pharmacy service teams, may be responsible for prescribing medications under specific collaborative drug therapy management agreements (CDTM).
• Works independently, and within the limits of established pharmacy/ambulatory care practice site’s policies and procedures, as a member of the patient care team.
• Directs and coordinates the activities of a pharmacy service area.
• Supervises all support personnel during an assigned shift, operating within the limits of pharmacy policy and procedures, and the regulations of the Board of Registration Pharmacy.
• Takes lead as a subject matter expert in their areas of practice at the site and system level.

Essential Job Functions

• Lead assigned patient service lines, clinical areas, and therapeutic programs.
• Facilitate pharmaceutical care, direct patient care programs, medication utilization systems within assigned care areas to assure drug utilization activities are aligned with patient care needs, evidence-based best practices, hospital guidelines, and regulatory standards.
• Design and implement new pharmacy programs, quality improvement changes, and continuous quality assurance initiatives to advance the organization’s medication-use systems and promote optimal patient outcomes.
• Design and implement stewardship activities and restriction/surveillance programs.
• Track and evaluate assigned pharmacy programs for operational, quality, and financial efficiency and routinely benchmark against local and national best practices.
• Develop strategies to optimize medication utilization, including but not limited to clinical guidelines, disease-specific pathways, formulary management, and medication-use policies.
• Provide departmental and institutional leadership for committees/meetings, hospital group/task forces, and approved external programs/organizations.
• Assure pharmacy is an integral part of the health-care delivery system and facilitates enhancement and expansion of pharmacy services/programs.
• Deliver direct patient-care and clinical practice, including decentralized and service-based programs.
• Maintain proficiency in decentralized pharmacy services and clinical pharmacy programs.
• Place practice priority on the delivery of patient-centered care.
• Work as an active member of multidisciplinary team and collaborate with healthcare personnel within care areas.
• Establish collaborative pharmacist-patient relationships.
• Maintain patient information and interpret patients’ health care needs including patient problem lists and prioritized pharmacist interventions.
• Collect and document accurate patient medication histories and reconcile discrepancies.
• Identify high-risk patients and implement interventions to improve care quality and safety.
• Make appropriate evidence-based, patient-centered medication recommendations.
• Implement, evaluate, and redesign pharmaceutical care plans based on patient progress and evolving goals for medication usage, including drug dosing and monitoring.
• Provide written documentation in the patient’s medical record when requested.
• Obtain and maintain ACLS and BLS certification.
• Participate in the management of medical emergencies.
• Provide discharge medication review, reconciliation, and counseling as appropriate to help with the transition of care.
• Provide evidence-based medication education to physicians, nurses, and other professionals.
• Educate patients and care givers regarding safe and effective use of medications, possible medication side effects, and the role of prescribed medications in the overall treatment plan.
• Maintain proficiency in hospital computer systems and medication ordering systems.
• Interpret, evaluate, and accurately process medication orders.
• Complete critical patient monitoring and review patient chart to identify, prevent, or mitigate drug-related problems, improper drug or dose selection, subtherapeutic dosage, over dosage, adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, untreated indications, medication use without an indication, and treatment failures.
• Follow established standard work parameters and maintains standard work environments.
• Participates in pharmacy operations and medication dispensing.
• Maintain proficiency in and actively engage in operational programs, central dispensing pharmacies, satellite dispensing pharmacies, and specialty pharmacy areas as appropriate for job assignment.
• Facilitate medication procurement, ordering, and dispensing procedures including, but not limited to, chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition, controlled substances, etc.
• Utilize pharmacy automation and supportive technology proficiently.
• Oversee pharmacy operations and technician practice/activities when assigned.
• Promote the use of the formulary by converting non-formulary medications to formulary alternatives when possible, evaluate appropriateness of non-formulary medication requests, and support procurement of non-formulary drugs when necessary.
• Facilitate experiential education and preceptorship.
• Maintain proficiency in the four preceptor roles and actively emulate education/mentorship.
• Serve as a preceptor/educator for MGH pharmacy residency (PGY1 and PGY2) and student experiential programs, including maintaining training and experience in pharmacy practice areas appropriate for teaching assignments.
• Develop student, resident, and staff training experiences/competencies and create new relationships for teaching and training opportunities.
• Identify, design, and mentor learners in implementing improvements in the medication-use system to advance patient safety, maximize therapeutic outcomes, or control costs.
• Demonstrate personal leadership qualities, role model, and business acumen to advance the profession and practice of pharmacy.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Must be eligible for licensure to practice pharmacy in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• Postgraduate residency/fellowship training.
• Board Certification by examination, or equivalent certification, in the relevant specialty is preferred, required within 18 months of hiring.
• Must meet all Board of Pharmacy requirements to enter into a collaborative drug therapy management agreement, when applicable.
• Massachusetts Controlled Substance Registration license, National Provider Index number, and a Drug Enforcement Administration Registration number, when applicable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Completion of ASHP-accredited PGY1 and PGY2 Cardiology or Transplant Pharmacy Residency or Fellowship preferred.
• Prior experience in the solid organ transplant service line.

Skills and Abilities

• Extensive knowledge and ability in all areas of the department including: IV Admixtures, Drug Information, Ambulatory, Manufacturing, and Drug Distribution.
• Knowledge of principles of growth and development over the life span of the neonate, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patient.
• Possess ability to assess patient data relative to age specific needs.
• Knowledge of contemporary hospital/clinical practice and service.
• Knowledge and understanding of general hospital operations and regulatory compliance.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to interact constructively with supervisors, peers, and support personnel.
• Ability to integrate clinical and distributive pharmacy services with quality improvement, teaching, research, and professional development activities.
• Significant general clinical knowledge and expertise in traditional therapeutics and patient-centered care.
• Significant knowledge and expertise in advanced pharmacy practice, specialty medication therapy management, and specialty evidence-based medicine in area appropriate for clinical assignments.
• Strong teaching and precepting skills and expertise in experiential training.