Pharmacy Specialist - Ambulatory Care

University of Arkansas System•Little Rock, AR

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) for Ambulatory Care provides comprehensive pharmacotherapy support in the ambulatory care setting, serving as a consultative resource to providers on evidence-based therapeutic alternatives, medication optimization, and drug information. The Ambulatory CPS collaborates daily with the interdisciplinary care team to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care across a broad ambulatory population, including direct patient care services provided under approved collaborative practice agreements. Responsibilities include reviewing and interpreting medication orders, laboratory data, and complete medication profiles to ensure safe, effective, and appropriate drug therapy while identifying and mitigating potential drug interactions and medication-related problems. The Ambulatory CPS contributes to clinical protocol development and quality initiatives and serves as a preceptor for pharmacy students and residents. The Ambulatory CPS is expected to obtain credentialing as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist through the UAMS Medical Board Credentialing Committee within six months of employment.

Requirements

Graduate of an ACPE-accredited College of Pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy or BS Pharmacy Degree
PGY1 residency training OR 3 years of applicable experience
Arkansas Pharmacist license or eligible for Arkansas licensure
Proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment.

Nice To Haves

Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY2 residency in Ambulatory Care or 5 years of experience working as a clinical pharmacy specialist in an Ambulatory Care setting
Board of Pharmacy Specialties Certification preferred and required within 3 years of hiring

Responsibilities

Leads assigned patient service lines, clinical areas, and therapeutic programs
Facilitates pharmaceutical care services, direct patient care programs, and medication utilization systems within assigned services and care areas to assure drug utilization activities are aligned with patient care needs, evidence-based best practices, and regulatory standards
Designs and implements stewardship activities and restriction/surveillance programs
Tracks and evaluates assigned pharmacy programs for operational, quality, and financial efficiency and routinely benchmarks against local and national best practices
Actively identifies practice-related issues that require evaluation and facilitates clinical research projects, quality improvement initiatives, or healthcare provider education as needed to advance practice
Assures pharmacy is an integral part of the health-care delivery system and facilitates enhancement and expansion of pharmacy services/programs
Delivers direct patient care and clinical practice, including decentralized and service-based programs
Maintains proficiency in decentralized pharmacy services and clinical pharmacy programs
Works as an active member of a multidisciplinary team and collaborates with healthcare providers within decentralized patient care areas to provide patient-centered care
Identifies high-risk patients and implements interventions to improve quality and safety
Makes appropriate evidence-based, patient-centered medication recommendations
Participates in the management of medical emergencies
Provides discharge medication review, reconciliation, and counseling as appropriate
Provides pharmaceutical services throughout the medical center
Maintains proficiency in hospital computer systems and medication ordering systems
Provides accurate, safe, timely, and appropriate medication therapy based on patient age and needs
Completes critical patient monitoring and reviews patient profile/chart to identify, prevent, or mitigate drug-related problems, improper drug or dose selection, sub-therapeutic dosage, overdosage, adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, failure to receive drugs, untreated indications, medication use without an indication, and treatment failures
Communicates effectively and appropriately with healthcare providers and caregivers (physicians, nurses, etc.) and assures continuity of pharmaceutical care between shifts and among staff
Actively participates in stewardship activities and restricted medication programs
Participates in pharmacy operations and medication dispensing
Maintains proficiency in and actively engages in operational programs, central dispensing pharmacies, satellite dispensing pharmacies, and specialty pharmacy areas as appropriate for job assignment
Facilitates specialty medication procurement, ordering, and dispensing procedures including but not limited to chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition, controlled substances, etc. as appropriate for assignment
Facilitates experiential education and practice advancement
Maintains proficiency in preceptor roles and actively emulates education/mentorship skills
Develops student, resident, and staff training experiences/competencies and creates new relationships for teaching and training opportunities
Identifies, designs, and implements improvements in the medication-use system to advance patient safety, maximize therapeutic outcomes, or control costs
Upon request, the Ambulatory CPS may participate in department, hospital, and campus committees and help develop and implement Clinical Pharmacy Services in assigned areas.
Other duties as assigned.