Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Medication Safety

Rush; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 131,000 - 196,000; Full time

Job summary

Rush University Medical Center’s Pharmacy department seeks a Medication Safety Specialist to advance safe medication use across the system. You will analyze events, lead safety projects, and collaborate with pharmacy, nursing, informatics, and Risk Management to reduce risk.

You will drive surveillance of high-alert medications, maintain smart infusion pump libraries, and support regulatory readiness. Strong analytical judgment and communication are essential in this role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree required.
• Illinois Pharmacist License required.
• Minimum four years of Clinical Pharmacy experience or a recent PGY1 residency with Clinical/Specialty Pharmacy experience.
• Knowledge of intravenous admixture, IV drug therapy, and chemotherapy.

Responsibilities

• Collects and trends medication events, near-misses, and ADRs to identify patterns and improvement opportunities.
• Supports RCAs and FMEAs for medication-related events under the MSO.
• Performs routine surveillance/audits of high-alert meds; implements risk-reduction strategies.
• Maintains smart infusion pump libraries, CPOE, and CDS alerts within Epic; flags gaps to informatics/MSO.
• Develops and revises standards across inpatient, ambulatory, and specialty settings to align with ISMP/ASHP/USP guidelines.
• Partners with pharmacy leaders, nursing, medical staff, and risk management on safety improvement projects and action plans.
• Prepares data summaries, dashboards, and presentations on medication safety metrics for leadership and committees.
• Supports readiness for regulatory and accreditation surveys related to medication management and safety.

Skills

Clinical Pharmacy

Patient Safety

Data Analysis

Education

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy

Tools

Epic

Power BI

Job description

Location: Chicago, Illinois Business Unit: Rush Medical Center Hospital: Rush University Medical Center Department: Pharmacy Work Type: Full Time (Total FTE between 0.9 and 1.0) Shift: Shift 1 Work Schedule: 8 Hr (8:00:00 AM - 4:30:00 PM)

Rush offers exceptional rewards and benefits learn more at our Rush benefits page (https://www.rush.edu/rush-careers/employee-benefits).

Pay Range: $62.92 - $94.37 per hour Rush salaries are determined by many factors including, but not limited to, education, job-related experience and skills, as well as internal equity and industry specific market data. The pay range for each role reflects Rush's anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. Offers may vary depending on the circumstances of each case.

Summary:

The Medication Safety Specialist serves as a frontline medication safety resource within Rush's Center for Medication Policy Assessment and Strategy (COMPAS), supporting the Medication Safety Officer (MSO) in advancing the safe use of medications across Rush University System for Health.

This position focuses on surveillance, review, and analysis of medication events, near misses, and adverse drug reactions; participation in error investigations; and support of safety improvement initiatives at the direction of the Medication Safety Officer, who retains responsibility for programmatic oversight and system-wide safety trending. The specialist collaborates with pharmacy operations, nursing, medical staff, informatics, and Risk Management/Patient Safety to identify system vulnerabilities that contribute to medication errors and drive sustainable safety improvements. Through the application of process improvement methodologies, change management strategies, and technology optimization, the specialist leads initiatives involving high-alert medications, smart infusion pumps, CPOE order sets, clinical decision support, and other medication-use technologies to reduce risk and improve patient outcomes.

The individual must demonstrate strong analytical skills, sound clinical judgment, attention to detail, and excellent written and verbal communication while applying principles of process improvement, change management, and high reliability to advance medication safety and operational excellence. The individual is expected to exemplify the Rush mission, vision, and values.

Responsibilities:

• Collects, reviews, and trends medication event, near-miss, and adverse drug reaction (ADR) data to identify patterns and priority areas for improvement, and reports findings to the appropriate stakeholders and committees.
• Supports and actively participates in apparent cause analysis, root cause analysis (RCA), and failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) for medication-related events under the direction of the Medication Safety Officer.
• Conducts routine surveillance and audits including but not limited to: high-alert medications, sound-alike/sound-alike drugs (SALAD), and error-prone processes; recommends and helps implement risk-reduction strategies.
• Monitors and helps maintain smart infusion pump drug libraries, CPOE order sets, and clinical decision support alerts for safety and effectiveness in Epic, escalating gaps or concerns to informatics and the Medication Safety Officer.
• Assists with the development, review, and revision standards across the continuum of care (inpatient, ambulatory, specialty, and outpatient pharmacy settings) including but not limited to medication-use policies, procedures, and guidelines to align with ISMP, ASHP, USP (795/797/800), The Joint Commission, and other applicable regulatory and accreditation standards.
• Partners with pharmacy leaders, nursing, medical staff, and Risk Management/Patient Safety on medication safety improvement projects, corrective action plans, and follow-up monitoring.
• Prepares data summaries, dashboards, and presentations on medication safety metrics and trends for pharmacy leadership, the System P&T Committee, and other medication safety-related committees.
• Supports readiness for regulatory and accreditation surveys related to medication management and safety.
• Communicates and educates pharmacy, nursing, and medical staff on medication safety issues, alerts, and lessons learned through newsletters, huddles, organization postings, and other communication channels.
• Serves as an active member of medication safety-related committees and workgroups, providing pharmacy and clinical expertise.
• Serve as a primary and/or secondary preceptor of pharmacy students and residents on medication safety principles and projects, as assigned.
• Evaluates and monitors drug therapy in collaboration with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to ensure safe and effective patient outcomes, incorporating findings into system-level safety improvement work.
• Stays current on emerging medication safety literature and alerts (e.g., ISMP newsletters) and disseminates relevant information across the system.
• Performs other medication safety, clinical, and operational duties as assigned by the Medication Safety Officer or pharmacy leadership.

Other information:

Required Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy.
• Illinois Pharmacist License.
• Minimum of four years of Clinical Pharmacy experience OR PGY 1 residency completed within the last seven years, which includes Clinical / Specialty Pharmacy experience.
• Knowledge in intravenous admixture services, intravenous drug therapy and chemotherapy.
• Must be able to work effectively with others to provide safe and effective drug therapy.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and quickly in responding to and resolving a wide range of problems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Completed a Specialty (PGY2) Residency in Medication-Use Safety and Policy, Health-System Pharmacy Administration, or PGY2 in a specialty area, or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Demonstrated experience in direct patient care (staffing)
• Prior experience in medication safety, quality improvement, or patient safety event review.
• Experience evaluating and improving medication-use systems across inpatient, ambulatory, specialty, and/or infusion pharmacy settings.
• Must be able to work effectively with others to provide safe and effective drug therapy.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills and the ability to work independently and quickly in responding to and resolving a wide range of issues.
• Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties Board Certification (e.g., BCPS) or eligibility (or within one year of hire).
• Certification in Medication Safety (e.g., ASHP/ISMP Medication Safety Certificate, CPPS - Certified Professional in Patient Safety), or willingness to obtain within 12 months of hire.
• Proficiency with Epic, medication safety surveillance/event-reporting systems, and data analysis/visualization tools (e.g., Power BI).
• Active involvement in state and national pharmacy or patient safety professional organizations (e.g., ASHP, ISMP, ICHP).
• Experience maintaining smart infusion pump drug libraries with EHR interoperability.

Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.