Clinical Pharmacy Specialist-Pediatric Cardiology

About the role

SHIFT: Day (United States of America)

Seeking Breakthrough Makers

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers countless ways to change lives. Our diverse community of more than 20,000 Breakthrough Makers will inspire you to pursue passions, develop expertise, and drive innovation.

At CHOP, your experience is valued; your voice is heard; and your contributions make a difference for patients and families. Join us as we build on our promise to advance pediatric care-and your career.

CHOP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, or any other legally protected categories in any employment, training, or vendor decisions or programs. CHOP recognizes the critical importance of a workforce rich in varied backgrounds and experiences and engages in ongoing efforts to achieve that through equally varied and non-discriminatory means.

A Brief Overview

Provide specialized pharmaceutical services to improve drug usage and therapeutic outcomes including, but not limited to, advising medical professionals on issues concerning drug therapy (inherent toxicity of drugs and their side effects, as well as assisting in the prescription of appropriate doses), contributing to the management of the CHOP Formulary, and actively participating in the advancement of medication safety / quality improvement.

Individualize medication regimens using sound principles, accounting for and pharmacokinetic variations in drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination with responsibility for establishing and continually improving the delivery of Pharmaceutical Care to patients within areas of direct responsibility and assisting others in the department with the same.

Maintain liaison relationships with medical and nursing staff; provide timely information pertaining to pharmaceutical supplies, drug usage and compatibility, state and federal regulations regarding drug controls, and Joint Commission Standards.

Contribute to the education of other healthcare professionals, patients and/or caregivers, and pharmacy learners.

What you will do

• Develop and maintain a consistent clinical pharmacy practice that provides optimal pharmaceutical support to patients of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in an appropriate, efficacious, safe, and cost-effective fashion.
• Participate in clinical rounds and contribute to order verification process for patients being rounded on.
• Review patient's pharmacotherapy using the electronic health record (EHR) and Acuity tool to ensure that the medications are appropriate in terms of dose, dosage form, route of administration, frequency, duration of therapy, indication and patient's disease state.
• Provide appropriate and timely consultative services (drug information, pharmacokinetics, etc.) to physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals regarding drug therapy.
• Counsel patients and caregivers on the use of various medications: name, description, route, dosage form, duration of therapy, directions for preparation, administration, use, common side effects, interactions, contraindications, self-monitoring, storage, refill information and action to be taken if dose is missed.
• Ensure and promote compliance with institution's formulary system and other guidelines set forth by the Therapeutic Standards Committee (TSC, the hospital's P&T committee) and the Department of Pharmacy.
• Communicate with prescribers and nurses to recommend alternatives for inappropriate therapy or substitutes for non-formulary items.
• Assist with maintenance of the CHOP Formulary in writing, editing, reviewing, and presenting formulary monographs.
• Provide clinical pharmacy support by participating in the rotating Clinical On-Call coverage process.
• Respond to codes for assigned coverage area.
• Perform staffing role per rotation as determined by the Department of Pharmacy.
• Provide experiential and didactic education to affiliated healthcare professionals, pharmacy personnel, residents and students.
• Maintain active credentialing and contribute to the clinical training of pharmacy residents, including but not limited to: resident learning experience; ASHP mandated topic or patient discussions; attendance at and active participation in resident meetings and presentations.
• Develop and maintain didactic education activities/modules for ongoing staff development programs and pharmacists training.
• Participate in the experiential and didactic training of pharmacy students from affiliated colleges of Pharmacy - Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE) and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE), as well as lectures in Pediatric Pharmacotherapy elective or other requested classes at the discretion of the Manager of Clinical Pharmacy.
• Participate in the training of pharmacy staff.
• Participate in hospital and departmental Quality Improvement (QI) and Medication Safety activities/initiatives.
• Act as a liaison with multidisciplinary staff concerning prescriptions, orders, drug and pharmaceutical details, patient reactions, errors and complaints.
• Participate in and contribute to regularly scheduled or Ad Hoc meetings of Medical Staff/Nursing/Pharmacy Committee(s) on a monthly basis (i.e. Unit-based committee, Therapeutic Standards Committee, Drug Use Evaluation Subcommittee, ADR/Medication Safety Subcommittee, etc).
• Assist in data collection and follow-up of of adverse drug reactions in the institution.
• Assist in maintaining records and statistics required to monitor and evaluate clinical pharmacy activities and effectiveness in accomplishing its stated objectives, (consults, interventions etc.).
• Utilize the principals of continuous quality improvement to analyze, and resolve problems in the medication use process in a systematic manner.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of clinical pathways, protocols, and/or policies involving the medication use process.
• Serve as content expert and assist in editing and reviewing the CHOP formulary, drug use evaluations, class reviews, and Formulary additions.
• Support Department of Pharmacy mission and contribute to achievement of departmental goals.
• Analyze and evaluate continuously, the quality of service, and develop plans necessary to correct any deficiencies identified.
• Achieve patient safety and satisfaction through the use of lean principles (5S, Elimination of Waste, JIT, Standard Work, Quality, Promote and Comply with Standardized Procedures, Promote and Comply with Standard Work, Identify waste in ownership process and recommend solutions for implementation, correct abnormal conditions.)
• Assist in the identification and implementation / monitoring of cost containment initiatives.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by authorized personnel to provide departmental flexibility to patient care needs including those for emergency situations.
• Provide help or coverage to others when needed.
• Assume order verification and dispensing responsibilities.

Education Qualifications

• Doctorate Pharmacy - Required

Experience Qualifications

• PGY1 Residency - Required
• PGY2 Residency - Preferred

Skills and Abilities

• Extensive knowledge of drugs, medical therapeutics, pharmacokinetics, diagnosis and disease states.
• Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with various members of the health care teams.
• Ability to communicate clearly in oral and written form.

Licenses and Certifications

• Licensed Pharmacist (Pennsylvania) - Pennsylvania State Licensing Board - upon hire - Required

Additional information

To carry out its mission, CHOP is committed to supporting the health of our patients, families, workforce, and global community. As a condition of employment, CHOP employees who work in patient care buildings or who have patient facing responsibilities must receive an annual influenza vaccine.

Salary Range

$129,700.00 - $171,900.00 Annually

Salary ranges are shown for full-time jobs. If you're working part-time, your pay will be adjusted accordingly.

At CHOP, we are committed to fair and transparent pay practices. Factors such as skills and experience could result in an offer above the salary range noted in this job posting. Click here for more information regarding CHOP's Compensation and Benefits.