Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Inpatient Psychiatry

Location: 1035 Cambridge Street 

Work Days: Monday through Friday  

Category: Pharmacy  

Department: Clinical and Academic Pharmacy  

Job Type: Full time  

Work Shift: Day 

Hours/Week: 40.00 

Union Name: Non Union

Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) is a vibrant, innovative health system dedicated to providing equity and excellence for everyone, every time. It is comprised of 3 acute care hospital sites in Cambridge, Everett and Somerville, the Cambridge Public Health Department, and more than 20 primary care/ambulatory care sites. Key clinical services include primary care, behavioral health, emergency care, surgery and specialty care, medical/surgical and critical care, and maternity. CHA's work extends far beyond patient care. It has a robust Department of Community Health Improvement and operates the nationally accredited Cambridge Public Health Department. It collaborates closely with local governments and non-profits to improve health and reduce barriers to care. The CHA Pharmacy Enterprise is a dynamic department with cutting edge clinical services and state of the art automation and technology. It includes three inpatient pharmacies, inpatient and ambulatory clinical pharmacy services, four retail / specialty pharmacies, a PACE pharmacy, and a PGY-1 pharmacy residency program. We precept APPE and IPPE students from 5 area colleges of pharmacy. We are an ACPE-accredited provider of continuing pharmacy education. Forty-five of our clinical pharmacists from all areas of operation are credentialed members of the CHA Medical Staff and execute a number of drug therapy management protocols through collaborative practice agreements with supervising physicians. All of the services we provide are performed with a focus on optimizing patient outcomes and safety, increasing patient satisfaction, and contributing to CHA's financial sustainability.

The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist in Inpatient Psychiatry is responsible for providing pharmaceutical care for our adult and geriatric psychiatry units. Primary, essential job functions include daily rounding with a multidisciplinary care team, ensuring rational drug therapy, serving as a clinical role model for staff, precepting PGY1 pharmacy residents and APPE students from area colleges of pharmacy, providing education and training to healthcare professionals, contributing to the P&T Committee, and representing the Pharmacy Enterprise on related CHA-wide multidisciplinary committees. As a credentialed member of the CHA medical staff, the clinical pharmacist specialist works under a collaborative practice agreement with a supervising physician to execute defined drug therapy protocols. A commitment to patient safety, customer satisfaction, efficient/effective use of resources, teamwork, innovation, and performance improvement is required.

Responsibilities:

• Regularly provides clinical pharmacotherapy services via inpatient care team rounding.

• Monitors drug therapy using implicit and explicit criteria to ensure safety and effectiveness.

• Performs formal and informal medication use consults with appropriate documentation. 

• Provides direct, effective, and individualized education and counseling to patients and/or family members/caregivers.

• Demonstrates and documents value to healthcare team through pharmaceutical care contributions/interventions.

• Promotes medication safety among colleagues and on behalf of patients in specialty area.

• Assesses need, develops and/or refines clinical pharmacy programs. Assesses clinical and financial impact of efforts on an ongoing basis.

• Evaluates medication use (i.e., formal usage evaluations); effects measurable improvements in medication use process.

• Assists in maintenance of Drug Formulary. Reviews new requests, non-formulary requests, and evolving literature on behalf of P and T Committee.

• Develops drug use restrictions, guidelines, and protocols for consideration by P&T Committee.

• Leads staff development efforts in clinical area(s)

• Serves as a preceptor for PGY1 pharmacy residents and APPE students.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Graduate of an accredited college/university with B.S. in Pharmacy or Pharm.D. degree is required.

Board Certification is required. (or agreement to obtain certification within 2 years of employment)

Certification by a relevant specialty body/discipline is desirable.

Completion of an ASHP-accredited residency is desirable.

Licensure: Must have a current license in good standing from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy or be eligible for licensure in MA. In lieu of an active MA license, candidates must attain MA licensure prior to working 1000 hours at the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). Failure to attain MA licensure within this time period will result in the discontinuation of employment at CHA.

Work Experience:

Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 and PGY 2 residencies or PGY 1 and a fellowship OR

Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 residency, with at least two (2) years of recent experience as a clinical pharmacist OR

Minimum of five (5) years experience as a pharmacist, with at least three (3) years of recent experience as a clinical pharmacist 

 
In keeping with federal, state and local laws, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) policy forbids employees and associates to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to establishing and maintaining a workplace free of discrimination. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination in the recruitment, hiring, termination, promotion, salary treatment or any other condition of employment or career development. Furthermore, we will not tolerate the use of discriminatory slurs, or other remarks, jokes or conduct, that in the judgment of CHA, encourage or permit an offensive or hostile work environment.