Clinical pharmacy specialists (CPS) at Tufts Medical Center work closely with other health practitioners to meet the various needs of our patients. They improve the health of patients by providing pharmaceutical care to individual patients and by serving as a resource to physicians, nurses, and other health professionals. Clinical pharmacy specialists provide leadership by facilitating the development, implementation, and maintenance of hospital and departmental systems that promote desirable patient outcomes. They educate students, interns, residents, nurses and patients and they participate in drug therapy research. Pharmacists review and approve medication orders, monitor drug therapies, and provide drug information. Pharmacists supervise and direct support personnel. In the absence of the pharmacy manager, a clinical pharmacy specialist may be required to assume the essential responsibilities and perform the duties of the pharmacy manager.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS:

Leadership

• Actively participate in a Tufts Medical Center multidisciplinary committee.
• Present at state and national professional meetings.
• Publish in a refereed journal.
• Maintain an adjunct faculty appointment at a school of pharmacy.

Education, Training and Development

• Participate in the professional development of clinical pharmacy specialists and clinical pharmacists.
• Provide continuing education for the Tufts Medical Center professional staffs (e.g., pharmacists, physicians, nurses).
• Serve as preceptor for PGY1 pharmacy residents, co-operative education students and pharmacy interns.
• Serve as a preceptor for Doctor of Pharmacy students.

Policy and Procedure Development and Maintenance

• Coordinate review of policies and procedures related to clinical practice
• Identify the need for, and create new policies and procedures.

Formulary Review and Maintenance

• Participate in periodic reviews of therapeutic classes of drugs and present findings to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and others.
• Prepare and present to the appropriate committees evidence-based reviews of drugs requested for formulary addition.
• Initiate and facilitate completion of drug use evaluations.

Guideline Development and Implementation

• Participate in the development and implementation of treatment guidelines, protocols and clinical pathways.
• Monitor compliance with treatment guidelines, protocols and clinical pathways and present findings to the appropriate committees.

Ensure Optimal Drug Therapy

• Participate in multidisciplinary patient care rounds as pharmacy staffing permits.
• Participate in the development of departmental drug-specific and population-specific initiatives.
• Detect and report medication errors and adverse drug reactions in a timely manner.
• Provide clinical consultation to physicians, nurses and pharmacists.
• Provide accurate, adequate and timely drug information to Tufts Medical Center professional staff.
• Conduct medication history interviews, reconcile patients’ medication therapies and provide drug information to patients and their families.
• Document in the medical record patient evaluations and recommendations, medication reconciliation and medication histories.
• Document pharmacist interventions according to established policies.

Drug Cost Management

• Identify changes in drug usage (volume and patterns) based on published literature and Tufts Medical Center practices.

Department of Pharmacy Operational Support

• Collaborate with other pharmacists to provide service to every patient covered by a pharmacist team. This includes weekend, holiday, evening, night and on-call coverage as described in departmental policies and procedures.

Department of Pharmacy Quality Programs

• Design and coordinate at least one Department of Pharmacy Quality Program.
• Participate by gathering and reporting data from one or more than one of the following Department of Pharmacy Quality Programs that relate to:
  • People
  • Clinical excellence
  • Operational excellence
  • Financial performance and growth
  • Safety and quality
  • Research

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Clinical pharmacy specialists must be able to work independently with minimal direct supervision. They must be able to handle frequent interruptions and adapt to changes in workload and work schedule. They must be able to set priorities, make critical decisions, and respond quickly to emergency requests. Clinical pharmacy specialists must be able to provide a high level of service to patients in a specialty practice.
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to execute each duty satisfactorily and be able to use various computer systems proficiently. The candidate must be able to communicate effectively in English (orally and in writing).

CREDENTIALS:

• Must be a graduate of an accredited college or university with a BS in Pharmacy or a PharmD degree. The ideal candidate has a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, has completed a general pharmacy practice residency and has two years of related practice experience. Board certification is not required but is encouraged. Candidates with a PharmD or a BS in Pharmacy without formal postgraduate training should have at least three years related practice experience.

LICENSURE:

• Licensed to practice pharmacy in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or eligibility.

WORK SCHEDULE:

• Full-time employment is 40 hours per week. Includes evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays as necessary.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Repetitive use of hands and fingers (e.g. use of computer keyboard
• May require lifting and carrying light loads, including boxes, equipment and stooping or kneeling.
• Sitting, walking or standing for long periods of time is often necessary.
• Must be able to physically operate equipment used for the job.

THE PROCEEDING DATA ARE INTENDED TO CONVEY INFORMATION ESSENTIAL TO MAKING FAIR PAY DECISIONS ABOUT THE JOB, AND ARE NOT EXHAUSTIVE LISTS OF THE SKILLS, EFFORTS, DUTIES, RESPONSIBLITIES OR WORKING CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH IT.