Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Heart Transplant / Heart Failure - Medical Center (8a - 5p)

We are searching for a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – someone who works well in a fast-paced setting. In this position, you will manage and promote activities appropriate to ensure the medication use process, serve as mentor to pharmacists who provide services to the medical specialty, and assist in direct patient care activities to promote optimal drug therapy and resolve medication use problems in a manner developmentally appropriate for the ages of patients served (newborn to adult).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsibility A: Utilizes practice knowledge and skills to serve as Clinical Practitioner.
• Attend and actively contribute to multi-disciplinary rounds with medical specialty services, including within the cardiac intensive care unit and acute care floors. Transplant Clinical Pharmacy Specialists attend multidisciplinary round meetings at a minimum of once per week, but ideally daily, to assist the transplant teams with the design, implementation, and monitoring of medication regimens.
• Identifies patients with special medication needs and oversees coordination of activities to ensure proper delivery of drug therapy, including patients supported on ventricular assist devices and extracorporeal therapies.
• Serves as member of patient care committees for medical specialty service, providing recommendations and implementing change to improve patient care. Transplant Clinical Pharmacy Specialists attend selection committee conferences (medical review board) and offer services including identifying, solving, and preventing medication-related problems.
• Performs outcome-directed therapeutic drug monitoring for patients according to guidelines. Monitors therapy for drug-drug, drug-nutrient, and drug-laboratory interactions. Discusses interactions with appropriate health care professionals to help ensure patient safety and measures compliance.
• Performs outcome-directed pharmacokinetics monitoring for patients according to guidelines and discusses recommendations with appropriate medical professionals to help provide the best care for the patient.
• Participates in quality improvement initiatives to reduce variation, achieve predictable results, and improve outcomes for patients. Transplant Clinical Pharmacy Specialists attend transplant QAPI meeting and presents updates to projects and process changes, as needed for identified medication safety events.

• Responsibility B: Ensures the medication use process.
• Creates and maintains appropriate and useful policies and procedures affecting areas of responsibility. Provides recommendations on improvements to services, methods, and procedures and establishes action plans to implement appropriate change.
• Promotes the use of the formulary and follows procedures to obtain non-formulary medications.
• Identifies opportunities for improvement to the area of practice and seeks to accomplish these improvements.
• Identifies and suggests agents to be added, deleted, or modified within the formulary and database, including assistance in backorder management
• Investigates, follows-up, and takes appropriate action for medication incidents and adverse drug reactions.

• Responsibility C: Participates in the education of parents/patients, caregivers, pharmacists, and pharmacy residents and students.
• Participates in the education and training of pharmacy employees, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and non-pharmacy personnel.
• Provides correct and timely drug information to medical, nursing, and pharmacy staff as needed.
• Perpetuates self-development through publications and/or presentations at a professional society level.
• Demonstrates current professional, managerial, and technical knowledge and skills.
• Coordinates performance improvement or quality improvement activities to contribute to improved patient outcomes.
• Develops educational programs, both practice-area specific and general education for pharmacists to ensure optimal patient care.
• Serves as a preceptor to pharmacists, pharmacy residents and students.
• Actively participates in the development of evidence-based clinical guidelines to ensure appropriate provision of medical therapy.
• Option to attend one pharmacy or service based professional meeting each year.
• Provide medication education to patients/parents/caregivers as requested by the medical team.
• Transplant Clinical Pharmacy Specialists participate in medication counseling/reconciliation as part of pre-transplant evaluations and post-transplant education. Helps to ensure the safe transition of complex medication plans between different levels of care as part of the discharge planning/preparation process and document activities in the medical record. Ensures compliance by participating in outpatient transplant clinic.

• Responsibility D: Communicates with others.
• Collaborates effectively with other members of health care disciplines to provide comprehensive care to patients.
• Transplant Clinical Pharmacy Specialists are available for a consultation throughout the transplant process (pre-, peri-, and post-) as deemed necessary by the transplant team.
• Communicates positively and appropriately in order to work effectively as a team.
• Utilizes appropriate skills to assist in development of plan of care.
• Checks all available means of communication including e-mail, mailbox, and voice mail if applicable every day/shift. Responds to pages and messages within departmental standards.
• Communicates and treats all coworkers with respect and courtesy, avoiding loud and disruptive conversation, and/or actions and remarks indicating disrespect.
• Keeps immediate supervisor informed of issues.
• Acts as a liaison between the pharmacy, nurses and physicians.

• Responsibility E: Performs other essential functions.
• Maintains punctual attendance consistent with Texas Children’s Hospital policies, regulatory, and federal, state, and local standards.
• Maintains patient confidentiality as documented by lack of complaints and peer review.
• Performs additional duties as assigned within specified deadline.
• Ensures a work environment that is clean, neat, and organized according to departmental standards.
• Completes mandatory health, safety, and training/in-services requirements by deadline.
• Demonstrates initiative when opportunities are presented as evidenced by successful completion of projects.
• Participates in the recruitment and successful hiring and training of pharmacists, completing the appropriate tasks to help hire and train employees as needed.
• Participates in the clinical on-call program.

SHARED ACCOUNTABILITIES

Knowledge and Skills

• Technical and extensive knowledge of medication, pediatrics, and clinical therapeutics.
• Knowledge regarding effectively communicating medications’ effects, education about medications, and establishing programs specific to patient care and training is required.
• Maintaining validation of departmental and area specific competencies.
• Must be able to work collaboratively with others while maintaining a positive, efficient mindset.
• Must hold an active TX State Board of Pharmacy Preceptor License and provide availability to precept at least two clinical students each year.

Skills & Requirements

• Being fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including any booster dose(s) of the COVID-19 vaccine recommended by the Centers for Disease Control when eligible, is required for all employees at Texas Children’s unless approved for a medical or religious exemption.
• Required Bachelor's Degree Science in Pharmacy or Pharm. D. Doctor of Pharmacy
• Required RPH - Pharmacist by the State of Texas
• Required PGY1 ASHP-accredited Pharmacy Practice Residency AND a PGY2 Pharmacy Practice Residency in an Advanced Area of Pharmacy Practice, or
• Required 5 years PGY1 ASHP-accredited Pharmacy Practice Residency with four (4) years’ experience in a pediatric inpatient hospital pharmacy setting with clinical responsibilities.

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