Staff Pharmacist

Robert Packer Hospital - Sayre, PA

Lourdes Hospital - Binghamton, NY

Position Summary: Staff pharmacists fill orders for parenteral and enteral medications, monitor patient drug therapies, and provide drug information.  Staff pharmacists supervise and direct support personnel. In the absence of the pharmacy manager, a staff pharmacist may be required to assume the essential responsibilities and perform the duties of the pharmacy manager.

Education, License & Cert: Graduation from an ACPE accredited School of Pharmacy with a BS or Pharm D Degree. Current license to practice Pharmacy in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Experience: An internship, residency, or prior experience in a health system is preferred, but not required. Competencies: The pharmacist must demonstrate growth and development of knowledge required to access data reflective of the patients status, interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patients requirements and to provide the pharmaceutical care needed, appropriate to the age of the patient and in accordance with appropriate policies and procedures. Patient Ages: The pharmacist must demonstrate the ability to meet the pharmaceutical care needs of neonatal, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients. Patient Types: The pharmacist must demonstrate the ability to meet the pharmaceutical care needs of acute care, intensive care, psychiatric care, sub‐acute care, long term care, ambulatory‐infusion and home‐infusion patients. The pharmacist must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to interpret and process outpatient prescription and provide the required prospective drug review patient counseling. The pharmacist must be able to review and process ambulatory and outpatient home infusion orders according to established policies and procedures of the department. The pharmacist is competent of the nuances between acute and ambulatory/home infusion patients.

Essential Functions: 

1) Prepares and dispenses medication orders per physician request according to established policies, procedures, and protocols. a) Reviews and interprets medication orders ensuring accurate entry to the computerized patient profile. b) Compounds and dispenses pharmaceuticals, including sterile, chemotherapy, and parenteral nutrition products accurately. c) Issues controlled substances to patient care areas and maintains records as required by law.

2) Ensures safe, appropriate, cost‐effective medication therapies for patients according to established policies, procedures, and protocols. a) Monitors drug therapy regimens for contraindications, interactions, allergies, and appropriateness of drug and dose. b) Assists with pharmacokinetic drug dosing per protocol. c) Reviews and interprets culture and sensitivity data for antibiotic appropriateness and recommends changes as needed. d) Reads, extracts, and interprets information in patient charts accurately. e) Detects and reports suspected adverse drug reactions accurately and in a timely manner. f) Sustains the formulary by minimizing non‐formulary procurements, utilizing therapeutic substitution protocols, and promoting rational drug therapy selection. g) Provides clinical consultation and clarification to practitioners. Suggests appropriate, cost‐effective, therapeutic alternatives as needed. h) Provides accurate, adequate, and timely drug information to the professional staff. i) Documents all clinical activities and interventions accurately and completely. j) Participate in quality improvement and medication use evaluations as required. k) Participated in the development and presentation of orientation, education and training programs to the pharmacy, medical, nursing, and other staffs.

3) Contributes to the quality and effective operation of the department. a) Supervises and directs pharmacy support personnel. b) Works independently with minimal supervision.  Organizes and prioritizes work assignments. Ensures pharmacy services are provided in a timely manner. c) Answers the telephone, identifying self and department. d) Performs essential duties of the pharmacy director in his/her absence. 4) Maintains competence required for current job. a) Maintains current pharmacy licensure. b) Attends pharmacy staff meetings. c) Attends orientation, education, and training programs. d) Completes all competence/ skills assessment requirement

Other Duties: 

1. Processes outpatient prescriptions according to state and federal laws, and departmental policies and procedures.

2. Routinely reviews assigned areas of the pharmacy inventory to ensure adequate stock levels and arrangement, and to remove drugs that are outdated or no longer utilized.

3. Routinely inspects assigned hospital departments and nursing units where medications are stored to ensure proper storage conditions according to departmental and JCAHO standards. 4. Performs additional duties as assigned; including, but not limited to, drug usage evaluation, quality assurance/control, drug file maintenance, drug information, etc.