Pharmacy Clinical Specialist-Internal Medicine

The Pharmacy Clinical Specialist-Internal Medicine is responsible for the provision of direct patient care. Direct patient care activities include improving patient outcomes by optimizing pharmacotherapy, ensuring medication safety, and promoting effective transitions of care. The Pharmacy Clinical Specialist will have opportunity to participate in committees and project work, provide education and training to other health care providers, and precept PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residents and PGY-2 Internal Medicine Residents, as well as Advance Pharmacy Practice Experience students. This position has rotating shifts, which includes weekends and holidays.

Position: Pharmacy Clinical Specialist-Internal Medicine

Department: Inpatient Pharmacy

Schedule: Full Time, Exempt

ABOUT BMC:

Boston Medical Center is a 514-bed, academic medical center in Boston and the primary affiliate of Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. It is the largest safety-net hospital and busiest level 1 trauma center in New England. The BMC health network integrates the outstanding services of a university hospital with an extensive network of ambulatory care clinics and outpatient pharmacies to ensure excellent patient care across phases of care. Their mission, which is foundational to the organization, is to provide “exceptional care without exception” and to make Boston the “healthiest urban population in the world by 2030.”

POSITION SUMMARY:

As a Pharmacy Clinical Specialist on the Internal Medicine team, you will be highly integrated at the front-line of patient care, providing recommendations to optimize pharmacotherapy within the context of a multidisciplinary team. You will have the opportunity to round with different internal medicine and surgery teams while working closely with central pharmacists and technicians to ensure accurate and timely acquisition, distribution of medication orders.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:

Clinical Responsibilities:

• Rotates through different clinical shifts within a core practice area; rounding with the interdisciplinary team when able
• Performs daily targeted interventions to decrease risk of readmission, optimize therapy, and improve medication safety
• Provides effective transition of care needs including, but not limited to, medication reconciliation, discharge counseling, facilitating medication to bedside, and completing post-discharge telephone calls.

Operational Responsibilities

• Reviews and process medication orders, evaluating for appropriateness and compliance with hospital and accreditation standards, and state/federal regulations 
• Identifies medication related safety events, reports errors, and provides recommendations for process improvement
• Assists central pharmacists, technicians, and purchasing team with supply chain management, medication shortages, and safe distribution of medication to admitted patients

Education/Training

• Precepts pharmacy students and precepts pharmacy residents; collaborates or leads resident led Quality Improvement initiatives
• Provides timely and accurate drug information, training, and education to patients and health care providers
• Assists in the orientation and training of new pharmacists, residents, interns and technicians as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Requires a Doctorate of Pharmacy or Bachelors of Science in Pharmacy with an advanced degree, and a PGY1 pharmacy residency or at least three years of equivalent work experience
• Work requires a valid license to practice pharmacy in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts by the hire date
• Board of Pharmacy Specialties certification is preferred

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Strong clinical knowledge pertinent to the specific practice area
• Effective project management
• Knowledge and application of biostatistics and improvement science
• Strong interpersonal skills when interacting with patients and colleagues
• Involvement in local, regional, or national professional organizations is encouraged
• Proficient with Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and Outlook, and web browsers
• Excellent attention to detail
• Effective verbal and written communication skills; must be proficient in the English; additional language skills are beneficial

JOB BENEFITS:

• Competitive pay
• Highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance options
• 403(b) retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement and generous employee discounts
• Supportive work environment with a focus on training, professional development, and growth

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

Our department’s vision is to “become the national leader of integrated delivery network (IDN)-based pharmacies, committed to the highest quality patient care, community engagement, and innovation”. We are highly integrated into the front lines of patient care and into the broader leadership structure of the organization. We have been training pharmacy residents for over 30 years and has seven PGY1 residents and six PGY2 programs in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Oncology, Internal Medicine, and Ambulatory Care. We also provide support to over 150 student rotations each year from Northeastern University School of Pharmacy, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science, and other nearby schools and colleges of pharmacy.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans