Clinical Pharmacist NICU

Connecticut Children's•Hartford, CT

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacist Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a licensed pharmacist responsible for ensuring optimal drug therapy by designing therapy, monitoring, and dispensing medications in accordance with standard operating procedures, ACLS, PALS, and USP guidelines. The pharmacist serves as a medication expert, directs support staff including Pharmacy Technicians, and ensures medication management complies with hospital, state, and federal requirements. The role manages daily pharmacy workload within the NICU and may cross-cover as a pharmacist across hospital departments and the Central Pharmacy as needed. Responsibilities include answering drug questions, attending medical rounds, completing nursing unit inspections, identifying medication-related issues, and potentially serving as a Charge Pharmacist. The position verifies prescriptions and orders, evaluates medication safety and patient-specific risks, optimizes drug therapies, contributes to protocols and evidence-based regimens, and provides drug information and education. It rounds with the Neonatal Intensive Care Team, monitors assigned patients, documents medication management and interventions in the electronic health record, supervises pharmacy staff, and inspects medication storage and preparation areas throughout the hospital. The pharmacist may also contribute to formulary additions and related P&T committee work. Connecticut Children’s is a pediatric health system with more than 30 pediatric specialties, a history spanning over 100 years, and a focus on specialized care, research, education, community partnerships, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Requirements

BS degree in Pharmacy.
State of Connecticut Pharmacist License.
BLS certification.
Knowledge of medications, including doses, indications, monitoring parameters, risks, contraindications, and drug-drug and drug-disease interactions.
Knowledge of medication preparation and delivery processes.
Knowledge of common pediatric disease states, risks, and treatments.
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Ability to use medication- and disease-related guidelines and other resources to answer questions and guide patient therapy.
Teaching and learning skills.
Ability to assess and manage competing priorities.
Ability to collaborate in an interdisciplinary environment with people of varying education, healthcare experience, and licensure.
Ability to show empathy and support others in the work environment.
Clear oral and written communication skills.

Nice To Haves

PharmD.
Experience as a Hospital Pharmacist.
Completion of a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency.
Completion of a PGY2 Pediatric Pharmacy Practice Residency.
Board certification in an area of specialty.
Advanced training or certification in an area of specialty.

Responsibilities

Verify and check prescriptions and orders in accordance with safe medication dispensing practices; review orders for accuracy and completeness.
Evaluate medication orders with attention to patient-specific factors, potential adverse drug reactions, and drug-drug and drug-disease interactions.
Assess and optimize drug therapy by designing medication therapies that meet individual patient needs.
Develop, review, assist with, and maintain protocols and regimens with the NICU and other departments, using evidence-based practices.
Use the facility formulary whenever possible to support cost-effective care.
Provide drug-information education to patients or their caregivers as needed.
Mentor and assist with training pharmacists, interns, and residents in the NICU.
Teach pharmacy and multidisciplinary staff about relevant neonatal treatment populations and therapies, including PDA, respiratory distress, RSV, feeding, and parenteral nutrition.
Round with the Neonatal Intensive Care Team and continually monitor assigned patients through chart review and discussion with patients, families, and healthcare professionals to identify or address drug-therapy issues.
Manage the daily pharmacy workload within the NICU.
Supervise pharmacy staff, students, residents, and interns throughout the shift when applicable to ensure safe and accurate medication preparation, dispensing, and delivery and compliance with regulations.
Know and follow pharmacy standard operating procedures to mitigate harm to patients and staff.
Document medication monitoring, medication management, potential adverse drug reactions, and related outcomes in the electronic health record, including systems such as EPIC, DoseEdge, and Omnicell.
Maintain documentation compliant with state and federal drug-control laws.
Inspect medication storage and preparation areas outside the Pharmacy throughout the hospital monthly and raise concerns to nursing and pharmacy leadership.
Identify medication or operational issues requiring remediation and escalate them to the direct manager.
Potentially contribute to adding NICU therapies and treatment modalities to the formulary through P&T committee presentations, education, or monographs.
May function as a Charge Pharmacist as needed.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned.