Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the Director of Pharmacy oversees the performance and competency of clinical pharmacists I & II. The Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator provides all aspects of pharmaceutical care to patients through the provision of drug distribution and drug information services. The Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator provides training and clinical mentorship of pharmacists and students. Responsible for the start-up, maintenance, and close-out of all investigational pharmacy protocols. Analyzes medication utilization at the institution, including expense, reimbursement, and adherence with established clinical use criteria in collaboration with the Finance and Patient Accounts departments. Collaborates with Risk Management and Quality & Patient Safety to identify and trend medication errors and implement mitigation strategies. Acts a project lead on the implementation and optimization of new pharmacy programs and services.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Administration

• Recruits and hires new pharmacist team members. Liaises with human resources to post positions and identify candidates. Conducts pharmacist staff interviews

• Designs and implements new pharmacist training program.

• Provides guidance and coaching to all pharmacist direct reports

• Ensures pharmacist compliance with established institutional and departmental policies and procedures through routine auditing and monitoring of staff activities

• Assists the Director of Pharmacy with all tasks and projects as deemed necessary.

• Develops and monitors performance metrics used to assess productivity and clinical activities

• Creates annual performance goals for pharmacist staff. Conducts annual performance reviews for all direct reports.

• Approves pharmacist staff schedule, maintains staff schedule in situations where activity cannot be delegated

• Approves time off requests based on guidance in pharmacy policy and procedure manual

• Supervises projects delegated to direct reports

• Formulary Management

• Maintains and manages the MEE medication formulary by continuously assessing usage patterns and product availability. Coordinates the addition, modification, and deletion of medications to the MEE formulary.

• Promotes the use of the MEE formulary by developing automatic therapeutic substitutions and converting other non-formulary medications to formulary alternatives when possible.

• Develops and updates Medication Administration Guidelines (MAGs) to direct the appropriate use of medications at MEE.

• Develops and updates pediatric reference materials to guide the appropriate dosing and use of medications in the pediatric population.

• Maintains and updates the Adult Code Cart Emergency Medication Dosing Guidelines in accordance with the current national guidelines.

• Develops and updates IV Dilution Guidelines for the appropriate preparation and use of IV medications.

g. Serves as the Coordinator for the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee by preparing the agenda for quarterly meetings, developing meeting materials related to formulary management, and documenting meeting minutes.

h. Maintains and updates smart pump medication libraries

• Develops and implements drug shortage action plans where appropriate

3.Medication Safety

a. Monitors the literature for new medication safety warnings; reviews and analyzes the institution's medication error reporting data.

b. Collaborates with Risk Management and Quality & Patient Safety to develop and implement policies and procedures designed to improve medication management while assuring compliance with regulatory and quality related standards and regulations

• Documents and reports adverse drug reactions and medication errors.

d. Coordinates and tracks departmental Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) Plan

e. Implements ISMP and ASHP best practices related to medication error prevention

• Quality Improvement

• Optimizes existing pharmacy services and implements new initiatives aligned with institutional vision and departmental goals

• Identifies and monitors process and quality indicators

• Identifies opportunities to improve and optimize medication use process

• Works closely with the clinical pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to ensure accurate and timely distribution of medications

• Manages investigational medication studies utilizing pharmacy services.

a. Serves as Lead Research Pharmacist by overseeing all pharmacists involved in investigational medication preparation and dispensing activities.

b. Provides pharmacy staff training on individual protocols per PI/sponsor requirements. Documents all training per protocol requirements.

c. Oversees investigational medication preparation, dosing, and documentation for all studies involving investigational medications.

d. Develops overall general policy and procedure for handling of all investigational medication studies.

e. Develops specific dispensing instructions and study overview information for each individual investigational medication study.

f. Develops study-specific drug accountability logs, study order forms/prescription documents, and study medication labels as needed.

g. Works with principal investigators, study coordinators, and study monitors to ensure appropriate study procedures and compliance are followed.

h. Prepares and manages Pharmacy budgets for investigational medication studies, including levying charges to study cost centers on a quarterly basis.

i. Serves as an Ancillary Pharmacy Reviewer on the MGB Institutional Review Board

j. Maintains current GCP and Human Subjects Research certification

k. Assesses feasibility for proposed clinical research studies involving investigational medication

6.Financial Management

a. Identifies and implements pharmacy cost savings initiatives

b. Trends utilization of high-cost medications use at the institution. Enhances transparency between pharmacy expense and reimbursement revenue.

c. Monitors patient level medication use and reimbursement. Identifies gaps in reimbursement, determines cause and implements mitigation strategies (e.g., formulary alternatives, insurance appeals, patient assistance programs)

d. Preparation of high-level reimbursement reports for distribution to hospital leadership and providers

e. Provides direct pharmacy support to patients receiving specialty medications

f. Implements and monitors MGB based cost savings initiatives

g. Assists in forecasting pharmaceuticals budget

h. Forecasts pharmacy cost drivers, including gene therapy, biological infusions, and macular injections.

i. Optimizes automated dispensing cabinet inventory settings to reduce expired medication waste and enhance medication availability to frontline staff

• Education and Training

• Presents in-services / lectures to health care professionals as requested.

• Presents lectures to the community as requested.

• Serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice with a local College(s) of Pharmacy by precepting pharmacy students on Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences and/or Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences.

• Provides comprehensive and timely responses to requests for drug information.

• Provides clinical informatics support to pharmacy, nursing, and physicians.

• Requests builds, tests, and maintains clinical aspects of EHR.

• Educates and supports pharmacy staff in the use of the EHR.

• Identifies clinical issues with the EHR products and manages service orders to resolve issues as necessary.

• Represents the Pharmacy Department on Institutional and Enterprise EHR related committees

• Engages in professional self-development

• Completes required continuing education credits annually.

• Attends professional meeting(s)

• Attends classes, conferences, or other meetings to enhance professional knowledge.

• Attains / maintains professional certifications (ex. BCPS (Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist))

10. Promotes Professional Behavior and Development

a. Provides outstanding customer service to patients and employees.

b. Demonstrates empathy and kindness to fellow coworkers and internal and external customers

c. Uses sound professional judgement to troubleshoot and resolve problems

• Performs all job functions of a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist as listed on the most current job description as required.

Organizational Requirements:

• Communicates appropriately using good interpersonal skills.

• Serves, manages, and supports internal and external customers.

• Participates in performance improvement activities.

• Participates as a team member and is accountable for own work responsibilities.

Performance improvement:

1.Assists the Director of Pharmacy or designee to develop and implement quality assurance measures.

2.Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to service the needs of patients requiring pharmaceuticals.

3.Oversees and contributes to the expansion of investigational pharmacy services

Regulatory Compliance

1.Complies with all State and Federal rules, regulations and laws which govern the practice of pharmacy.

2.Maintains Massachusetts pharmacist registration in good standing

3.Completes annual MEE/MGB regulatory compliance training

4.Awareness and application of Joint Commission Medication Management standards

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

1.Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) plus at least 7 years of hospital experience

2.Board Certification required

3.Completion of PGY1 residency preferred

4.Current Massachusetts Pharmacist Registration

WORKING CONDITIONS:

1.Works within the Pharmacy Department primarily but will routinely visit patient care and surgical areas

2.May be exposed to infectious diseases, carcinogenic, hazardous, and sensitizing medications and chemicals

3.Works under constant time constraints and deadlines.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

1.Standing or walking 70% of the time. Lifting and carrying heavy supplies about 5% of job duties.

2.May be required to lift approximately 35 lbs