Pharmacist

This position is PRN.

Job Purpose:

Plans, organizes, and supervises activities of pharmacy personnel according to hospital policies, standards of practice and State and Federal regulations within financial constraints to provide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of patients, clinical departments, medical staff and the hospital. Provides patient care/services for all stages of the lifespan including pediatrics, adolescents, adults and geriatrics.

Accountabilities:

• Evaluates the impact of departmental decisions, goals and objectives on the overall functioning of the entire institution.
• Ensures efficient utilization of available human resources in order to maximize the effectiveness of work performed by staff members.
• Maintains compliance with established departmental, hospital, and DNV guidelines and standards.
• Determines needs for facilities, supplies and equipment.
• Evaluates services needed to support medical care pursuant to the objectives and policies of the hospital.
• Participates in and adheres to the financial plan of operation for the hospital, providing fiscal controls in order to provide current up to date therapy while remaining cost effective.
• Ensures pharmacy support in the initiation, utilization, and participation in studies or projects designed for the improvement of patient care.
• Implements programs for providing continuing education for all personnel.
• Participates in safety, security, and risk management programs of the hospital.
• Provides a drug distribution system which assures timely delivery and ready access to needed medications.
• Provides clinical services for the benefit of patients and assists other members of the health care team in their efforts to provide high quality patient care.
• Implements within the department the philosophy, objectives, policies, and standards of the hospital in order to coordinate services with other departments.
• Leads by example and consistently makes sound judgments after gathering factual, objective information. Makes effective recommendations in matters of hiring, commendation, promotion, transfer, discipline and termination of employees, all in the best interest of providing high quality appropriate pharmaceutical services for the benefit of quality patient care.
• Coordinator of, secretary to, the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, bringing all matters of pharmacological concern to the attention of members of the medical staff for input and decision while assuring compliance with DNV standards.
• Provision of resource material through text book, newsletter, clinical search or consultation for all employed clinicians and physicians.
• Provision of a hospital formulary, approved by the medical staff, to guide procurement and distribution of medication for patients.
• Each employee is evaluated and records are maintained on competency of performing their duties including the specific job; effective and safe use of equipment; prevention of contamination and transfer of infection when applicable; and CPR and other life saving interventions when applicable.
• Responsible for the assessment, treatment, or care of patients by demonstrating competency in the following as appropriate; clinical knowledge, clinical skills, and communication skills to the ages of the patients served.

Major Work Activities:

• Reviews and assesses implications of proposed long and short term hospital goals and strategic objectives; recommends appropriate actions and strategies.
• Assigns responsibilities to employees in accordance with their personal abilities and limitations.
• Ensures that all staff members demonstrate the ability to work effectively with other of a variety of racial, ethnic, and sociological backgrounds.
• Maintains an active state certification and participates in local, state, and national associations for the benefit of the Hospital and the Department.
• Effectively directs preparation of the annual departmental budget in accordance with institutional guidelines; reviews the budget performance and analyzes any variances.
• Implements a process for the planned and systematic evaluation of the quality and appropriateness of services; ensures that all identified problems are resolved.
• Regularly participates in cost containment activities through an organized system of planning and monitoring of utilization of supplies and equipment.
• Determines measurable check points for various projects and expected variations.
•  Provides guidance in educational programming and coordinates staff's participation in in-service and external programs to ensure their continued professional development.
• Ensures departmental employees follow all safety, security, and risk management policies of the hospital and department.
• Monitors the performance of the department; takes appropriate action as necessary to continually ensure efficient and effective operations.
• Directs the development, revision, implementation, and communication of goals, guidelines, and standards for the department.
• Demonstrates the ability to devise more efficient methods and systems for getting work done; institutes changes in procedures as necessary.
• Serves on numerous Hospital committees; e.g., Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, Infection Control Committee, and Total Quality Management Committee. Serves on others as assigned.
• Provides leadership and managerial skills as a resource for the Pharmacy Department.
•  Demonstrates good leadership in developing standards of performance, determining areas of responsibility and accountability, and delegating authority to various supervisory members of the staff.
•  Coordinates and distributes agenda for Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee meetings, records and distributes minutes of meetings.
• Recommends and implements decisions made by medical staff concerning pharmaceutical care.
• Maintains adequate references in department.
• Ensures periodic newsletter is distributed throughout facilities.
• Maintains formulary as required by standards.
• Ensures periodic revision and updating of formulary.
• Ensures formal process for formulary changes is followed; makes recommendations on proposals; keeps record of formulary discussions.
• Completes competency checklist annually or more often as required by department policy.
• Demonstrates knowledge of disease processes; diagnostic tests, normal and abnormal; treatment modalities and expected outcomes; psychosocial needs of various age groups; growth and development of infants, children and adolescents; the aging processes, associated complicating factors and behaviors.
• Able to demonstrate ability to complete tests, procedures or tasks normally required of position; can appropriately document patient responses; physical, emotional, verbal, and non-verbal; recognizes and functions accordingly in relation to priorities of patient needs.
• Demonstrates ability to obtain information from patient/family; can explain tests, procedures or tasks to various age groups appropriate to their level of comprehension; demonstrates ability to communicate patient needs to physician and clinical peers.

Education:

• Graduation from an accredited School of Pharmacy with Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy degree.

Experience, Licensure, Certification, and/or Registration:

• Four (4) years' experience in hospital pharmacy; including IV preparation, DUE/CQI activities, and supervisory experience.
• Maintain active registration with Tennessee Board of Pharmacy