Clinical Pharmacist - Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant MGH

Mass General Brigham•Boston, MA

20h•Onsite

About The Position

Massachusetts General Hospital is seeking a highly motivated candidate to join their clinical pharmacy team as an Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Clinical Pharmacist. This role involves rotating through advanced heart failure and heart transplant service lines, acting as a pharmacotherapy expert for the interdisciplinary HF/Transplant team. The position requires applying advanced training to lead pharmacotherapy discussions, educate patients and healthcare professionals, contribute to protocols, quality improvement, and research projects, and train residents and students. The Clinical Pharmacist serves as a key resource for the Pharmacy, Cardiology, and Transplant Departments, collaborating closely with them. Clinical Pharmacists are responsible for providing safe, effective, and prompt medication therapy, offering direct patient-centered care, and integrating pharmacy services with physicians, nurses, and other hospital personnel. They manage medication therapy for patients with various disease states, aligning with target interdisciplinary programs and specialty services. Pharmaceutical care includes assessing patient needs, tailoring drug therapy and education based on age and disease-specific characteristics, adjusting care based on patient response, and intervening to prevent adverse medication events. They also act as departmental resources and liaisons, manage appropriate medication use according to standards, and conduct practice-related research and quality improvement initiatives. Additionally, they provide education and training and precept pharmacy residents and Doctor of Pharmacy students.

Requirements

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.
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.
Extensive knowledge and ability in all areas of the department including: IV Admixtures, Drug Information, Ambulatory, Manufacturing, and Drug Distribution.
Demonstrate appropriate 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.
Provide care as described in the department's policies/procedures.
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.

Nice To Haves

Completion of ASHP-accredited PGY1 and PGY2 Cardiology or Transplant Pharmacy Residency or Fellowship preferred.

Responsibilities

Optimization of drug therapy by identification, resolution, and prevention of drug related problems and improving therapeutic outcomes.
Providing direct or indirect patient care according to the laws and regulations governing pharmacists and the practice of pharmacy.
Prescribing medications under specific collaborative drug therapy management agreements (CDTM) when assigned to particular pharmacy service teams.
Working independently, and within the limits of established pharmacy/ambulatory care practice site’s policies and procedures, as a member of the patient care team.
Directing and coordinating the activities of a pharmacy service area.
Supervising 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.
Leading as a subject matter expert in their areas of practice at the site and system level.
Leading assigned patient service lines, clinical areas, and therapeutic programs.
Facilitating pharmaceutical care, direct patient care programs, and 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.
Designing and implementing new pharmacy programs, quality improvement changes, and continuous quality assurance initiatives to advance the organization’s medication-use systems and promote optimal patient outcomes.
Designing and implementing stewardship activities and restriction/surveillance programs.
Tracking and evaluating assigned pharmacy programs for operational, quality, and financial efficiency and routinely benchmarking against local and national best practices.
Developing strategies to optimize medication utilization, including clinical guidelines, disease-specific pathways, formulary management, and medication-use policies.
Providing departmental and institutional leadership for committees/meetings, hospital group/task forces, and approved external programs/organizations.
Assuring pharmacy is an integral part of the health-care delivery system and facilitating enhancement and expansion of pharmacy services/programs.
Delivering direct patient-care and clinical practice, including decentralized and service-based programs.
Maintaining proficiency in decentralized pharmacy services and clinical pharmacy programs.
Prioritizing the delivery of patient-centered care.
Working as an active member of a multidisciplinary team and collaborating with healthcare personnel within care areas.
Establishing collaborative pharmacist-patient relationships.
Maintaining patient information and interpreting patients’ health care needs including patient problem lists and prioritized pharmacist interventions.
Collecting and documenting accurate patient medication histories and reconciling discrepancies.
Identifying high-risk patients and implementing interventions to improve care quality and safety.
Making appropriate evidence-based, patient-centered medication recommendations.
Implementing, evaluating, and redesigning pharmaceutical care plans based on patient progress and evolving goals for medication usage, including drug dosing and monitoring.
Providing written documentation in the patient’s medical record when requested.
Obtaining and maintaining ACLS and BLS certification.
Participating in the management of medical emergencies.
Providing discharge medication review, reconciliation, and counseling as appropriate to help with the transition of care.
Providing evidence-based medication education to physicians, nurses, and other professionals.
Educating patients and caregivers regarding safe and effective use of medications, possible medication side effects, and the role of prescribed medications in the overall treatment plan.
Maintaining proficiency in hospital computer systems and medication ordering systems.
Interpreting, evaluating, and accurately processing medication orders.
Completing critical patient monitoring and reviewing patient charts 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.
Following established standard work parameters and maintaining standard work environments.
Participating in pharmacy operations and medication dispensing.
Maintaining proficiency in and actively engaging in operational programs, central dispensing pharmacies, satellite dispensing pharmacies, and specialty pharmacy areas as appropriate for job assignment.
Facilitating medication procurement, ordering, and dispensing procedures including, but not limited to, chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition, controlled substances, etc.
Utilizing pharmacy automation and supportive technology proficiently.
Overseeing pharmacy operations and technician practice/activities when assigned.
Promoting the use of the formulary by converting non-formulary medications to formulary alternatives when possible, evaluating appropriateness of non-formulary medication requests, and supporting procurement of non-formulary drugs when necessary.
Facilitating experiential education and preceptorship.
Maintaining proficiency in the four preceptor roles and actively emulating education/mentorship.
Serving 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.
Developing student, resident, and staff training experiences/competencies and creating new relationships for teaching and training opportunities.
Identifying, designing, and mentoring learners in implementing improvements in the medication-use system to advance patient safety, maximize therapeutic outcomes, or control costs.
Demonstrating personal leadership qualities, role modeling, and business acumen to advance the profession and practice of pharmacy.
Maintaining a sustained record of contribution to the total body of knowledge in pharmacy practice through presentations, publications, and professional affiliation activities.
Participating as a formal reviewer for a peer-reviewed medical or pharmacy journal.
Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of contemporary hospital practice and clinical service, trends and innovations in pharmacy leadership, and updates in traditional therapeutics, professional practice standards, or health care regulatory requirements.
Maintaining a specialized evidence-based knowledge of drug and drug therapy by reviewing relevant professional journals and suggested readings.