Clinical Pharmacist

Detailed Overview

The Clinical Pharmacist provides clinical pharmacy services including individualization of patient medication therapy; patient medication counselling; consultation with physicians, nurses and other health care providers to develop and discuss therapeutic plans and assistance in the development of drug therapy guidelines for individual disease conditions. Provides support to the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee by preparing written summaries and recommendations on drug usage; contributes items such as case studies and articles for submission to professional journals; acts as department resource person in the assigned area of responsibility; participates in medication use evaluations and clinical drug trials; provides instruction and/or supervision to pharmacy students and residents. Additionally, the Clinical Pharmacist performs drug distribution duties including processing prescriptions by reviewing prescribed medication therapy; validating prescriptions; identifying safety concerns; contacting the subscriber and/or the health care team to resolve discrepancies or problems; documenting discussions or modifications to the medication therapy and dispensing medications. Responsibilities Consults with physicians, nurses and other health care providers to develop and discuss therapeutic plans appropriate for each patient based on chart review and assessment of clinical responses. Ensures appropriate documentation is maintained in the patient health record in accordance with regulations, protocols and practice standards. Individualizes patient medication therapy by performing activities such as referencing standard literature/publications and patient demographic information, reviewing patient charts and laboratory test results, meeting with the patient and health care team to assess clinical response of the patient to medication therapy and modifying or developing therapeutic plans to ensure that medication therapy is consistent with the patient''s needs. Provides patient medication counselling regarding drug therapy by reviewing reference literature, summarizing information and meeting with patients and their families to provide and explain information and plans, demonstrating procedures, techniques and use of equipment, and assessing patient's/family's understanding of the procedures, techniques and equipment. Assists the health care team in developing drug therapy guidelines for individual disease conditions by reviewing current literature, compiling and analyzing information relating to current therapy guidelines, providing suggestions and recommendations, and monitoring the effectiveness of current guidelines on patient health care outcomes. Participates in ward rounds, program team meetings and provision of pharmacy services at the unit level to enhance patient care. Acts as department resource person in the assigned area of responsibility. Supports both department and hospital staff by providing detailed drug information on issues related to drug therapy in those disease states which are treated within the program. Contributes items such as case studies and review articles to professional journals by performing activities such as identifying topics, gathering and analyzing data, reviewing current literature, writing and submitting articles for publication. Provides instruction and/or supervision to pharmacy students and residents by preparing educational material, demonstrating procedures, lecturing, supervising during patient care activities and providing input into performance evaluations. Participates in quality improvement activities through methods such as reviewing current practices, performing quality assurance audits, identifying actual or potential problems and recommending changes. Performs drug distribution duties including interpreting medication orders/prescriptions and dispensing medications using a computerized medication information system in accordance with legal, professional and departmental policies, procedures and standards. Reviews prescriptions for therapeutic suitability by referring to standardized references, interpreting laboratory data, and/or reviewing patient specific demographics. Communicates with physicians, patients and/or other health care team members for prescription clarification and problem resolution. Documents the outcome of any interaction with the prescriber in the patient's health care record. Ensures that medications are efficiently and accurately dispensed and/or compounded and labeled and that all necessary dispensing records are completed. Participates in the collection of data for medication use evaluation projects and documents the required information. Assists in maintaining adequate inventories, notes shortages, requisitions drugs and/or supplies and monitors expiry dates, reports procedural errors and participates in quality improvement activities. Participates in clinical drug trials by dispensing medications and completing associated documentation. Reviews cases of reported drug adverse reactions and completes necessary documentation. Participates in implementation of medication safety initiatives and quality control activities in accordance with established standards and procedures. Participates in staff meetings, committees and other programs as required; identifies opportunities to improve processes and/or procedures to enable safe and efficient operations and refers to supervisor and/or others. Maintains records for narcotic and controlled drugs, special access program drugs and departmental statistics in accordance with legal, professional and departmental standards, polices and procedures. Prepares reports on a variety of activities within the discipline, gathers and records information into approved formats, accounts for variances, sets up and updates computerized files and spreadsheets using word processing and spreadsheet software. Performs other related duties as assigned. Qualifications Education and Experience Current registration as a Pharmacist with the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia. Completion of an accredited Hospital Pharmacy Residency Program or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience. Skills and Abilities Broad knowledge of organization policies, procedures and standards of care. Knowledge of evidence-based clinical pharmacy practice. Knowledge of medication use evaluation. Knowledge of research processes and methodology. Knowledge of drug distribution processes in a hospital setting. Ability to apply clinical pharmacy knowledge and make decisions with a minimum of supervision. Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other health practitioners, as well as patients, family members and the public. Ability to organize and prioritize work. Ability to operate related equipment. Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.

---