Lead Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Pharmacy

Health First; Melbourne (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Health First in Florida seeks a Lead Clinical Pharmacy Specialist to lead facility-level clinical pharmacy services, develop and coordinate programs, and ensure optimal daily clinical operations. This role drives system development to promote safe, cost-effective drug therapies and desirable patient outcomes.

The position emphasizes leadership, collaboration with medical staff, and ongoing program evaluation to improve patient care and pharmacoeconomic initiatives within Health First facilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy required.
• Five years of clinical pharmacy experience.
• Five years of clinical pharmacy leadership experience.
• Florida Pharmacist licensure required.
• AHA BLS Provider or AHA ACLS + PALS Provider certification required.

Responsibilities

• Acts under the direction of pharmacy leadership to plan, implement, and evaluate goals for clinical pharmacy.
• Maintains effective relationships with medical staff and hospital leadership through clear communication.
• Disseminates best practice information across Health First.
• Prepares and presents drug reviews, MUE criteria, antibiotic reports, ADRs, and pharmacy interventions to committees.
• Develops and implements treatment guidelines, formulary changes, and critical pathways.
• Monitors therapy for contraindications, interactions, ADRs, and appropriateness of therapy.
• Participates in quality improvement activities and documents clinical activities.
• Evaluates pharmacy programs and implements improvements for better patient care.
• Coordinates pharmacy activities to enhance delivery of quality patient care.
• Delivers training to physicians, pharmacists, and nurses on pharmaceutical care and economics.
• Provides cost-effective drug information and therapeutic alternatives; collaborates with medical staff.

Skills

Management

Communication

Organizational skills

Troubleshooting

Computer skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy (BPharm)

PharmD (preferred)

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Lead Clinical Pharmacy Specialist acts on a facility level to assist pharmacy leadership in, developing and coordinating clinical pharmacy services and ensuring that the department of pharmacy provides optimal clinical services on a daily basis at their institution. The Lead Clinical Pharmacy Specialist facilitates the development, implementation, and maintenance of systems that promote desirable patient outcomes through the use of safe, cost effective drug therapies.

Job Requirements

The Lead Clinical Pharmacy Specialist acts on a facility level to assist pharmacy leadership in, developing and coordinating clinical pharmacy services and ensuring that the department of pharmacy provides optimal clinical services on a daily basis at their institution. The Lead Clinical Pharmacy Specialist facilitates the development, implementation, and maintenance of systems that promote desirable patient outcomes through the use of safe, cost effective drug therapies.

Primary Accountabilities

• Acts under the direction of the pharmacy leadership and as such, keeps him/her informed on the progress and status of objectives and action plans, accepting accountability for planning, implementing and evaluating goals and objectives for clinical pharmacy
• Maintains a positive, open and effective relationship with the medical staff, hospital management teams and all levels of personnel through open communication utilizing effective written and verbal skills.
• Disseminates best practice information obtained from outside resources and across Health First
• Prepares and presents drug reviews, Medication Use Evaluation (MUE) criteria, antibiotic sensitivity reports, adverse drug reaction reports, and pharmacy interventions to appropriate committees, as well as, reviewing the use of targeted medications for compliance with current pharmacoeconomic programs, while evaluating the medical literature for studies supporting appropriate care and programs.
• Facilitates the development and implementation of treatment guidelines, protocols, formulary changes, and critical pathways as approved by appropriate committees; disseminates best practice information obtained from outside resources and across Health First.
• Monitors medication therapy regimens for contraindications, drug-drug interactions, drug-food interactions, adverse drug reactions, and appropriateness of medication therapy.
• Participates in quality improvement activities both within pharmacy and interdepartmental where appropriate. Collects and analyzes data and maintains documentation of clinical activities.
• Evaluates methodologies, systems and programs of clinical pharmacy and medication therapy and implements necessary changes to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness that will result in improved patient care.
• Assists in coordination of clinical pharmacy activities in order to maintain an environment that is conducive to the delivery of quality patient care while continuously seeking improvement in assigned areas; works diligently to increasingly engage, provides tools of engagement, and raises issues of engagement with pharmacy.
• Delivers training and education to physicians, pharmacists, nurses, etc. regarding pharmaceutical care and pharmacy economics; coordinates clinical pharmacy participation in community educational programs (e.g., diabetes classes, health fairs).
• Provides accurate, adequate, and timely drug information to the professional staff as well as, clinical consultation and clarification to practitioners. Suggests appropriate, cost effective therapeutic alternatives to medical staff as needed; facilitates the identification, resolution, implementation, and communication of cost-effective medication use issues in collaboration with the medical staff.
• Prepares reports on pharmaceutical care and pharmacoeconomic activities including financial impact, as directed.

Work Experience

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy (BPharm).
• Work Experience:
• Five (5) years’ experience in clinical pharmacy.
• Five (5) years’ clinical pharmacy leadership experience.
• Licensure: Pharmacist licensure in the State of Florida.
• Certification: Any one of the following prior to start date and maintained:
• American Heart Association Basic Life Support (AHA BLS) Healthcare Provider Completion Card OR
• American Heart Association Advanced Cardiac Life Support (AHA ACLS) AND Pediatric Advanced Life Support (AHA PALS) Healthcare Provider Completion Card.
• Skills/Knowledge/Abilities:
• Must possess demonstrated management skills.
• Excellent human relations skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent troubleshooting abilities.
• Strong computer skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Doctorate’s degree in Pharmacy (PharmD).
• Work Experience:
• Six (6) years’ experience in clinical pharmacy.
• ASHP Accredited Residency experience.
• Licensure: Consultant Pharmacist licensure in the State of Florida.

Physical Requirements

• Physically agile; may require walking, standing, running, bending, stooping, kneeling, climbing, or crouching frequently.
• May occasionally include lifting or moving objects up to 50 pounds, with or without assistance.
• May require moving in different positions to accomplish tasks in various environments including tight and confined spaces, including reaching out and above shoulders, or overhead.
• May lift, turn, pull, push, or ambulate people and/or equipment with or without assistance up to 90% of the assigned shift.
• May be exposed to inside and outside environments with varied temperatures, air quality, lighting, and/or low to loud noise.
• May require working with biohazards such as blood/body fluids and airborne particles following OSHA and CDC guidelines.
• Communicating with others to exchange information.
• Visual acuity and hand-eye coordination to perform tasks.
• Workspace may vary from open to confined.
• May require travel to various facilities within and beyond county perimeter; may require use of personal vehicle.

Benefits

ABOUT HEALTH FIRST

At Health First, diversity and inclusion are essential for our continued growth and evolution. Working together, we strive to build and nurture a culture that recognizes, encourages, and respects the diverse voices of our associates. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives, and backgrounds create a stronger and more collaborative work environment that delivers better results. As an organization, it fuels our innovation and connects us closer to our associates, customers, and the communities we serve.