Senior Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

Tufts Medical Center, Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 172,000; Full time

Job summary

Tufts Medicine in Boston is seeking a Senior Clinical Pharmacy Specialist to lead hospital pharmacy services, monitor therapies, and ensure safety and efficacy of drug regimens. You will educate staff, supervise support personnel, and guide residents and students in a dynamic clinical setting.

The role emphasizes preceptorship, policy development, and collaboration with physicians and nurses to optimize patient outcomes within Tufts Medicine's integrated care teams.

Qualifications

• PharmD or PharmD-equivalent with hospital-based clinical experience.
• Licensure to practice pharmacy in the appropriate state.
• Preferred residency training and board certifications.

Responsibilities

• Lead clinical pharmacy services for designated hospital areas.
• Provide therapeutics monitoring and safety evaluations.
• Educate staff, students, and residents; serve as preceptor.
• Develop and improve department policies and guidelines.
• Collaborate with physicians, nurses and other health professionals.

Skills

Clinical pharmacy leadership

Therapeutic monitoring

Education & precepting

Drug interaction evaluation

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

PharmD + 3 years hospital experience

Bachelor of Pharmacy + 5 years hospital experience

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency

PGY2 Residency in a specialty

Board Certification / BPS credential

Job description

Senior Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Job Overview

Senior-level Clinical Pharmacy Specialists work closely with other health practitioners to improve the health of patients by providing pharmaceutical care to individual patients and by serving as a resource to physicians, nurses, and other health professionals and caring for patients of the assigned service areas. Critical elements of this position include: providing patient, staff and provider education; performing therapeutic monitoring for efficacy and safety; evaluating for potential drug interactions; making recommendations regarding appropriate dosage adjustment; and effectively communicating to patients, families and other members of the healthcare team. Acts as an ambassador and educator for medication safety and best medication practices and drug therapy research within the organization. Educates students, interns, residents, nurses and patients and they participate in drug therapy research. Supervises and directs support personnel. Provides leadership by facilitating the development, implementation, and maintenance of hospital and departmental systems that promote desirable patient outcomes. In the absence of the pharmacy manager, this position may be required to assume the essential responsibilities and perform the duties of the pharmacy manager.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) with either three (3) years of clinical pharmacy experience in a hospital or completion of one (1) PGY year; OR Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy with either five (5) years of clinical pharmacy experience in a hospital or completion of two (2) PGY years.
• Pharmacist License.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1. 1. Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) AND Five (5) years of clinical pharmacy experience in a hospital OR Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy AND Eight (8) years of clinical pharmacy experience in a hospital.
• PGY1 Pharmacy Residency.
• PGY2 Residency in a relevant area of practice.
• Pharmacy Board Certification.
• Active Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) credential in a related area of practice.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Demonstrates leadership through activities such as: Serving as chair or otherwise actively participate multidisciplinary committees; Participating in state or national professional organizations; presenting research at professional meetings; publishing in a refereed journal or author a textbook chapter / section; serving as a reviewer for a textbook or a refereed journal; lecturing at a school of pharmacy or allied health profession; and or maintaining an adjunct faculty appointment at a school of pharmacy and at medical school or nursing school.
• Participates in professional development of clinical pharmacy specialists and clinical pharmacists through activities such as: Providing continuing education and evaluating valuating professional staff (e.g., pharmacists, physicians, nurses); Serving as primary preceptor for PGY1 and PGY2 pharmacy residents in an area of specialized practice; Serving as primary preceptor for Doctor of Pharmacy students in an area of specialized practice; and or helping secure funding and serve as director of a fellowship or a PGY2 specialty residency.
• Participates in developing department policies and procedures, identify the need for, and create new policies and procedures.
• Participates in Pharmacy Quality Programs that relate to: People; Clinical excellence; Operational excellence; Financial performance and growth; Safety and quality; and Research.
• Coordinates periodic reviews of therapeutic classes of drugs related to specialized practice and present findings to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and others.
• Prepares and presents to the appropriate committee’s evidence-based reviews of drugs requested for formulary addition that relate to specialized practice. Initiates and facilitates completion of drug use evaluations.
• Participates in the development and implementation of treatment guidelines, protocols and clinical pathways.
• Provides prospective evaluation and monitoring of drug therapy. Recommends appropriate medication doses and adjustments as indicated by patient clinical condition. Identifies, documents, resolves and works to prevent drug therapy problems.
• Participates in the development of departmental drug-specific and population-specific initiatives.
• Directs and coordinates the clinical activities of the assigned pharmacy service area. Responsible for preparing, compounding and dispensing medications to patients in accordance within state, federal laws.
• Reviews and accurately interprets physician’s orders checking for appropriateness of orders as to indication, clarity, accuracy of dose, drug allergy, potential drug interactions and duplication (two or more drugs with the same therapeutic action).
• Detects and reports medication errors and adverse drug reactions in a timely manner.
• Communicates professionally with Physicians, Nurses and other healthcare professionals regarding medication related issues.
• Ensures departmental policies and procedures are adhered to, as well as State and Federal laws and practice standards.
• Oversees the preparation, compounding and dispensing of medications to patients and manages support staff (when required).
• Monitors compliance with treatment guidelines, protocols and clinical pathways and present findings to the appropriate committees.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to walk and stand 25-75% of the day and to occasionally lift up to 30 pounds.
• Requires sometimes reaching and grasping below, at, and above shoulder level.
• Requires regularly grasping, typing, and fine manipulation with hands.
• Works in an area with some discomfort due to dust, dirt, and temperature changes.
• Possibility of cuts from broken glass and some exposure to hazardous chemicals.
• Frequently required to speak, hear, communicate and exchange information.
• Ability to see and read computers displays, read fine print, and/or normal type size print and distinguish letters, numbers and symbols.
• Ability to work in confined or open environments.
• Ability to work independently or in a team environment.

Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of clinical best practices and standards for optimizing medication use
• Superior verbal and written presentation skills.
• Superior communication skills, including developing and giving presentations, both 1-1 and group.
• Knowledge of integrated health networks and health plan drug formularies.
• Maintains skill, knowledge and competency as an expert in pharmaceutical care of the assigned specialty area.
• Project and resource management skills.
• Creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to understand importance of and respect for the confidentiality of all patient information in accordance with applicable standards and regulations.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and as part of a team.
• Comfort with and adaptability to contemporary healthcare workplace technologies including but not limited to electronic medical record(s), software applications, messaging systems, video chat, and team collaboration platforms (e.g. Microsoft Teams, etc.)
• Ability to work with all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, and life experiences.
• A robust understanding of chronic health condition management and population management.
• Ability to prioritize and resolve critical issues efficiently and effectively.
• Detail oriented, with strong organizational skills and multi-tasking abilities.
• Willingness and ability to learn and utilize new technology and procedures that will continue to develop in their role and throughout the organization.

Job Profile Summary

This role focuses on providing pharmacy related services in a hospital or retail setting. In addition, this role focuses on performing the following Pharmacy Services duties: Delivers pharmaceuticals. Includes professionals who are trained and sometimes licensed to dispense medicine/controlled substances. A professional individual contributor role that may direct the work of other lower level professionals or manage processes and programs. The majority of time is spent overseeing the design, implementation or delivery of processes, programs and policies using specialized knowledge and skills typically acquired through advanced education. A specialist level role that is a recognized subject matter expert in job area typically obtained through advanced education and work experience. Typically manages large projects or processes with limited oversight from manager, coaches, reviews and delegates work to lower level professionals, resolving difficult and often complex problems. At Tufts Medicine, we want every individual to feel valued for the skills and experience they bring. Our compensation philosophy is designed to offer fair, competitive pay that attracts, retains, and motivates highly talented individuals, while rewarding the important work you do every day. The base pay ranges reflect the minimum qualifications for the role. Individual offers are determined using a comprehensive approach that considers relevant experience, certifications, education, skills, and internal equity to ensure compensation is fair, consistent, and aligned with our business goals. Beyond base pay, Tufts Medicine provides a comprehensive Total Rewards package that supports your health, financial security, and career growth—one of the many ways we invest in you so you can thrive both at work and outside of it.

Pay Range

Pay Range: $135,200.00 - $171,524.44 based on full-time equivalent

Tufts Medicine

Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community health care to deliver exceptional, connected and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts. Comprised of Tufts Medical Center, Lowell General Hospital, MelroseWakefield Healthcare, an expansive home care network and a large clinically integrated physician network, Tufts Medicine has more than 15,000 dedicated employees and caregivers. The health system came together in 2014 to leverage the experience of its member organizations and integrate their missions to together transform the ways that consumers engage with and experience their care.