Pharmacist in Charge

La Rabida Children's Hospital•Chicago, IL

11d

About The Position

La Rabida Children’s Hospital provides specialized, family-centered health care to children with medically complex conditions, disabilities, and chronic illness. Through expertise, compassion, and advocacy we help children and their families reach their fullest potential, regardless of their ability to pay. Our not-for-profit hospital, licensed for 49 beds, helps transition children from neonatal or pediatric intensive care to home, by providing medical, rehabilitative and developmental care, and by training families to continue treatments and manage the necessary equipment in the home. La Rabida also provides extensive rehabilitation for those recovering from wounds or burns and treatment for exacerbations of chronic conditions. The hospital’s enhanced pediatric patient-centered medical home provides primary care to children with complex medical conditions and their siblings. Children with medical homes elsewhere come to La Rabida for specialty services. La Rabida offers a wide range of specialty services provided to children with sickle cell disease, diabetes, and many others. Children are supported in their emotional and developmental growth, particularly in cases where such growth has been interrupted by accident or disease. Finally, La Rabida provides forensic and treatment services for children exposed to abuse and neglect, comprehensive assessments for wards of the state, early intervention for children between 0 and 3 years of age. Care coordination services for medically complex children are also provided for those who are covered by a health plan and receive care from providers in Cook County SUMMARY: The Pharmacist-in-Charge (PIC) is responsible for the operational, clinical, and regulatory oversight of both the inpatient and outpatient pharmacy services at La Rabida Children’s Hospital. This role ensures the safe, effective, and compliant management of all medicationuse processes while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and regulatory requirements including Illinois Board of Pharmacy regulations, Joint Commission standards, DEA requirements, and USP <795>, <797>, and <800> standards. The PIC provides leadership and strategic oversight to pharmacy staff, ensures medication safety practices are maintained, and collaborates closely with interdisciplinary teams to support high-quality pediatric patient care. This position includes both operational leadership responsibilities and scheduled pharmacist staffing shifts.

Requirements

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from an accredited college of pharmacy.
Minimum 5 years of hospital pharmacy experience.
Active Illinois Pharmacist License in good standing.
Eligible to serve as Pharmacist-in-Charge with the Illinois Board of Pharmacy.
Strong understanding of hospital medication-use systems.
Knowledge of regulatory standards including Joint Commission, USP, and DEA.
Experience with automated dispensing systems.
Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
Experience with hospital EMR systems

Nice To Haves

PGY1 Pharmacy Residency preferred
Experience in both inpatient and outpatient pharmacy operations preferred.
Experience in pediatric pharmacy practice strongly preferred.
Minimum 2 year of leadership or supervisory experience preferred.
Pediatric hospital experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Oversight of both inpatient and outpatient pharmacy operations.
Ensure safe medication management practices across all hospital pharmacy services.
Provide leadership to pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy support staff.
Serve as the designated Pharmacist-in-Charge with the Illinois Board of Pharmacy.
Serve as the designated Pharmacist-in-Charge with the Illinois Board of Pharmacy.
Ensure compliance with Illinois Board of Pharmacy regulations, DEA requirements, Joint Commission standards, and USP <795>, <797>, and <800>.
Maintain all pharmacy licenses, registrations, and inspection readiness.
Lead preparation and response to regulatory inspections and accreditation surveys.
Ensure compliance with Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requirements.
Oversee the hospital medication-use process including procurement, preparation, dispensing, administration support, and monitoring.
Monitor medication safety events and lead investigations to identify root causes and implement improvements.
Support formulary management and Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee activities.
Collaborate with clinical teams to enhance medication safety and optimize patient outcomes.
Oversee daily pharmacy operations including workflow, staffing, and medication distribution systems.
Ensure effective use of automated dispensing cabinets and pharmacy technologies.
Oversee inventory management including controlled substances, shortages, recalls, and expired medications.
Ensure compliance with narcotic accountability and diversion prevention protocols.
Provide leadership and supervision to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
Support recruitment, onboarding, training, and performance management.
Promote a culture of accountability, teamwork, and patient safety.
Ensure staff competency in regulatory standards and pharmacy best practices.
Monitor pharmacy performance metrics including medication safety events and compliance indicators.
Lead pharmacy quality improvement initiatives.
Develop and maintain pharmacy policies, procedures, and standard operating protocols.
Support hospital-wide patient safety and quality initiatives.