Clinical Pharmacist - Emergency Medicine/Behavioral Health

Connecticut Children's Medical Center•Hartford, CT

20h

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacist is a licensed pharmacist responsible for optimizing drug therapy through therapy design, medication monitoring, and dispensing in accordance with standard operating procedures, ACLS, PALS, and USP guidelines. The pharmacist serves as a medication expert and directs pharmacy support staff, including technicians, while ensuring medication management complies with hospital, state, and federal requirements. The position manages daily pharmacy workload in the hospital Emergency Department and Behavioral Health beds and floor, and may cross-cover as a pharmacist in other hospital departments and the Central Pharmacy. Duties also include answering drug information questions, attending medical rounds, conducting nursing unit inspections, identifying medication-related issues, and serving as a Charge Pharmacist when needed. The pharmacist verifies medication orders, evaluates and optimizes patient-specific drug therapy, contributes to evidence-based protocols and formulary use, and provides education to patients, caregivers, and staff. The role involves interdisciplinary rounding and ongoing patient monitoring, supervision and training of pharmacy staff, and documentation in the electronic health record, including EPIC, DoseEdge, and Omnicell. The pharmacist also inspects medication storage and preparation areas and may contribute to formulary additions and treatment modalities through the P&T committee.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy.
Connecticut Pharmacist License.
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 disease states affecting pediatric populations, including associated risks and treatments.
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Ability to use medication- and disease-related guidelines and other available 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 with varying levels of education, healthcare experience, and licensure.
Ability to communicate clearly orally and in writing.
Ability to show empathy and support others in the work environment.

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 medication orders for accuracy, completeness, and safe dispensing; evaluate patient-specific factors, adverse drug reaction potential, and drug-drug or drug-disease interactions.
Assess and optimize drug therapy by designing medication therapies that meet patient-specific needs.
Develop, review, and maintain protocols and regimens with Emergency Department, Behavioral Health, and other department teams, using evidence-based practices and the facility formulary where possible.
Provide drug information and education to patients and their caregivers as needed.
Mentor and train pharmacists, interns, residents, pharmacy staff, and multidisciplinary staff on relevant treatment populations, medication preparation, treatment, and monitoring.
Round with Emergency Department and Behavioral Health care teams and monitor assigned patients through chart review and discussions with patients, families, and healthcare professionals to identify or resolve medication therapy issues.
Manage the daily pharmacy workload in the Emergency Department and Behavioral Health beds and floor; cross-cover other hospital departments and the Central Pharmacy as needed.
Supervise pharmacy staff, including technicians, students, residents, and interns, as applicable, to support safe and accurate medication preparation, dispensing, and delivery and compliance with regulations and procedures.
Document medication monitoring, medication management, adverse drug reactions, interventions, and related outcomes in the electronic health record, while maintaining documentation compliant with 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.
May contribute to adding Behavioral Health therapies or treatment modalities to the formulary through P&T committee presentations, education, and monographs.
May function as a Charge Pharmacist as needed.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned.