DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
An incumbent in the class of Clinical Pharmacist – Infectious Disease coordinates the pharmacy services with Infection disease and other health care professional. In contrast to incumbents in the classification of Pharmacist who prepare and dispense drugs, the incumbent in the classification of Clinical Pharmacist – Infectious Disease have advanced post graduate training or equivalent experience and possess a broad scope of pharmacotherapy knowledge and skill for providing direct patient care as well as providing complex, in-depth clinical services. In addition to administrative duties, the Clinical Pharmacist provides consultation to the staff and to Health Care Providers.
SPECIFIC PHARMACY PRACTICE RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Develops, enforces and maintains policies and procedures that promote and enhance patient outcomes through safe, effective, cost-efficient and appropriate medication therapy use for patients receiving antimicrobials.
2. Coordinates programs designed to minimize medication errors, adverse drug reactions and medication misuse with regards to medication preparations in infectious disease through improved reporting, analysis and follow-up.
3. Coordinates and maintains the antimicrobial stewardship program, including:
a. Overseeing daily prospective audit of antimicrobials
b. Assisting in development and maintenance of an antimicrobial formulary approved by the medical staff.
c. Working with the infectious disease service to evaluate appropriate use of restricted antimicrobials
d. Developing guidelines, policies, and other monitoring and intervention strategies for antimicrobial use and streamlining prophylactic, empiric, and definitive antimicrobial therapy
e. Compiling data and metrics on antimicrobial use
f. Working with the Antimicrobial Stewardship committee to maintain and update the Highland Hospital Empiric Therapy Guide.
g. Reporting data and findings to the Antimicrobial Stewardship, Infection Control and Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees.
h. Coordinating, facilitating and promoting education, training, competency assessment and performance improvement of pharmacists, pharmacy residents and other healthcare professionals in the appropriate use of antimicrobials
4. Serves as pharmacy consultant rounding with Infectious Disease consult service
5. Precepts pharmacy residents and pharmacy school students in Infectious Disease rotations.
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES AS AN ID CLINICAL PHARMACIST:
1. Works with the Head of Pharmacy / Manager Pharmacy Services to coordinate, expand and deliver pharmacy services with IHN.
2. Monitors patients in a specific unit/specialty service with includes collecting patient-specific data, performing relevant physical assessments, interviewing patients, and identifying patient goals of therapy.
3. Assesses patient-specific medical problems, prioritizes medical problems based on urgency and severity and identifies preventive and health maintenance issues.
4. Evaluates patient-specific drug therapy and therapeutic problems by evaluating appropriateness of drug therapy, assessing effectiveness, and identifying potential interactions or adverse effects.
5. Designs a comprehensive drug therapy plan for patient-specific problems and persuasively justifies recommendations based on patient-specific pharmacologic, pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenomics, Pharmacoeconomic, ethical, legal and evidence-based information.
6. Documents clinical interventions in a timely and professional manner.
7. Monitors and reports drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient adherence issues.
8. Collaborates with patients, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals.
9. Develops and maintains the drug formulary, as well as provides education for physician and other healthcare providers regarding additions and revisions to the formulary. Includes preparing drug monographs and cost analysis for presentation to committees, staff, physicians and other staff.
10. Review and evaluate requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs specially Antibiotics/ Anti-infective.
11. Assists in establishing and supervising record keeping, auditing and other drug control policies and procedures as required by County, State and Federal laws.
12. Serves as a preceptor to pharmacy residents, students, and volunteers.