Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Critical Care - UnityPoint Health

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Critical Care

Rock Island, IL

Full-Time + Benefits

7-on 7-off + weekend rotation

Now offering a $7,500 sign-on bonus!

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist – Critical Care is responsible for working in collaboration with the intensive and pulmonary critical care team within the established guidelines of the Department of Pharmacy Services as assigned.  The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist provides comprehensive pharmaceutical care to critically ill patients through integrated clinical services, rounding, research, and teaching. The pharmacist will provide direct patient care services and serve as a resource for educational information related to critical care pharmacy services. This position is scheduled on a fixed basis (e.g. ten hour shifts, 7-on-7-off or similar rotation); shifts will be scheduled during hours which provide optimal coverage for intensive care unit patients or during hours to allow for project/teaching time as required.

Why UnityPoint Health? 

• Commitment to our Team – For the third consecutive year, we're proud to be recognized as a Top 150 Place to Work in Healthcare by Becker's Healthcare for our commitment to our team members. 
• Culture – At UnityPoint Health, you matter. Come for a fulfilling career and experience a culture guided by uncompromising values and unwavering belief in doing what's right for the people we serve. 
• Benefits – Our competitive Total Rewards program offers benefits options that align with your needs and priorities, no matter what life stage you’re in. 
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commitment – We’re committed to ensuring you have a voice that is heard regardless of role, race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. 
• Development – We believe equipping you with support and development opportunities is an essential part of delivering a remarkable employment experience. 
• Community Involvement – Be an essential part of our core purpose—to improve the health of the people and communities we serve. 

Visit https://dayinthelife.unitypoint.org/ to hear more from our team members about why UnityPoint Health is a great place to work. 

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Provide Comprehensive Pharmaceutical Care

• Participate in daily patient care activities, including patient monitoring and interdisciplinary rounds.
• Discuss medication order clarifications with the prescriber.
• Document any changes in patient records and inform others of medication order changes.
• Monitor drug therapy to evaluate appropriateness of use, dose, dosage form, regimen, route, therapeutic duplication, and drug interaction. 
• Provide pharmacokinetic consultations and other dosing as required.
• Prevent, detect, monitor, document, and report adverse drug reactions and medication errors.
• Participate in the drug therapy management of medical emergencies (i.e. code, trauma, stroke alerts, poisoning, etc.).
• Promote the use of the formulary by converting nonformulary orders to formulary when possible, but coordinates procurement of non-formulary drugs when necessary
• Maintain and update patient profiles with demographics, diagnosis, allergies, and current medications as warranted.
• Support technician-driven medication history program and facilitate reconciliation of pharmacy and nursing medication records as necessary. 
• Facilitate admissions and transfers of critical care patients.
• Expedite medication administration when applicable through recommending appropriate first-line therapy options.
• Counsel/triage patients on discharge/transfer medications as necessary
• Optimize pharmacotherapy regimens utilizing current evidence-based recommendations.
• Maintain current hospital pharmacy knowledge, professional expertise, and skills necessary to assure the proper interpretation, safe preparation and dispensing of medications for all patients.

Promote Safe and Effective Drug Therapy

• Identify and implement drug therapy where positive pharmacoeconomic impact could be achieved. 
• Develop and conduct targeted drug programs and medication use evaluations as needed and report results to the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee or relevant subcommittees. 
• Document clinical consultations and cost avoidance as part of the departmental clinical documentation program.  
• Monitor the use of expensive medications to assure they are consistent with approved criteria (e.g., alteplase, Factor VII, etc.) 
• Anticipate changes in drug therapy and report the potential impact it will represent to the overall hospital and drug budget.  
• Provide in-services for critical care nursing and medical staff. 
• Initiate research investigations aimed at defining the role of critical care/acute care specialty pharmacists or optimizing the care of patients in the critical care population.
• Take a leadership role in the teaching programs of the Department of Pharmacy Services, including student pharmacist rotations and residency training, as they are related to critical care.
• Facilitate personnel development of pharmacists who provide clinical services for critical care patients. 
• Provide presentations, publications, and other informative activities on intensive and pulmonary critical care and other drug-related topics.
• Participate on hospital committees. Participate actively in provider team meetings and conferences.

Provide Operational Support

• Review medication orders for accuracy and appropriateness. 
• Order entry for assigned areas. 
• Resolves drug distribution related issues.
• Resolves automated dispensing cabinet and sterile product related issues.

Education:

• Graduate of an approved College of Pharmacy and possesses a Doctor of Pharmacy or BS in Pharmacy is required.

Experience:

• ASHP-accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency in Acute Care Pharmacy Practice or two years of experience in a complex health-system pharmacy environment is required.

• Experience in adult intensive care or pulmonary critical care is required.

License(s)/Certification(s):

• Registered Pharmacist in the state of IA and IL is required within 90 days of hire.

• Valid driver’s license when driving any vehicle for work-related reasons.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Time management and prioritization skills. 
• Strong communication skills.
• Interpersonal skills.