Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

Job Summary

Assumes responsibility for medication management for a core group of patients under the supervision and delegation of a physician. The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist manages both clinical and administrative aspects of pharmacy operations for the assigned practices. The incumbent handles medication dispensing, patient counseling, inventory management, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, the pharmacist is responsible for financial transactions, claim reconciliation, and regular communication with medical staff and third-party entities.

Essential Functions

Under the supervision and delegation of a physician:

• Prescription Verification: Verifies prescriptions from healthcare providers for accuracy, appropriateness, and potential interactions with other medications the patient may be taking.
• Medication Dispensing: Prepares and dispenses medications directly to patients in the office, including counting tablets, labeling bottles, and providing the prescribed medication quantities.
• Patient Counseling: Educates patients on proper medication usage, discusses potential side effects, and answers any questions to ensure safe and effective drug use.
• Drug Utilization Review: Conducts reviews of patient medication regimens to prevent drug interactions, contraindications, and other issues affecting patient health.
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensures all dispensing practices comply with federal, state, and local regulations, maintains proper storage conditions for medications, and manages inventory securely.
• Inventory Management: Manages pharmaceutical inventory within the office, orders supplies, monitors stock levels, and ensures proper disposal of expired or unused medications.
• Insurance Coordination: Handles insurance claims and coordinates for medications dispensed in-office, ensuring accurate billing and patient understanding of their coverage.
• Quality Assurance: Implements and monitors procedures to ensure the quality and safety of dispensed medications and addresses any discrepancies or issues during dispensing.
• Complete and Follow-Up on Rx Audits: Conducts thorough prescription audits and follows up to ensure compliance and accuracy in dispensing.
• Perform Claim Reconciliation for Third-Party Payments: Uses software like PioneerRx to reconcile claims, verifying check numbers, matching Rx amounts and dates, and adjusting entries as needed.
• Manage Cash Register and Document Sales: Handles transactions, provides detailed biweekly cash out reports, and summarizes sales.
• Deposit Cash and Checks Off-Site: Manages banking for the pharmacy, including depositing checks from insurances not processed through Central Pay.
• Generate End-of-Month Reports: Produces comprehensive monthly reports including inventory data, collected from nurse managers and the pharmacy, then sent to finance.
• Serve as Pharmacy Clinical Liaison/Resource for All Providers: Acts as the primary pharmacy contact for providers, offering clinical support and information.
• Distribute and Follow Up on Recalls for Medications and Supplies: Manages and monitors all medication and supply recalls, participating in related decision-decision-making processes.
• Manage Medication Samples: Coordinates with pharmaceutical reps to ensure an adequate supply of medication samples, especially for emergent situations.
• Acts as a liaison between pharmacy, nursing, and medical staff to educate health professionals on current drug-related procedures, policies, guidelines, and pathways.
• Implements and maintains departmental policies and procedures for safe and effective drug use within their service.
• Participates in quality assurance programs to enhance pharmaceutical care; these programs may include drug utilization evaluation or other projects assigned by the Manager/Director of Clinical Pharmacy Services.
• Daily interacts with Healthcare Providers, Management, and Nursing staff; educates patients and caregivers on medication uses; provides medication reconciliation of medications as appropriate and able; provides patients/caregivers with tools during the patient education process.
• Provides educational in-services to all healthcare professionals both formally and informally.
• Enhances professional growth and development by participating in educational programs, reading current literature, and participating in in-service meetings and workshops.
• Prepares written documentation as required by the profession; maintains, distributes, analyzes, and projects information for required records, reports, and statistics as directed.
• Responsible for the accurate & timely dispensing of medication under the supervision of a physician.
• Assists in the oversight of Medically Integrated Dispensary, including policy formation, compliance, and appropriate medication handling practices.
• Investigational Drug Services: Provides clinical and operational support, and the medication management of patients participating in research studies within the Care Network.

Requirements

EDUCATION/CERTIFICATION/EXPERIENCE

• Doctor of Pharmacy degree; or Master’s degree and the equivalent of one (1) year of full-time clinical pharmacy or pharmacy-related experience; or Bachelor’s degree and the equivalent of three (3) of full-time clinical pharmacy or pharmacy-related experience.
• License to practice as a Registered Pharmacist in the State of New York

Key skills/competency

• Clinical Pharmacy
• Medication Management
• Prescription Verification
• Patient Counseling
• Drug Utilization Review
• Regulatory Compliance
• Inventory Management
• Insurance Coordination
• Quality Assurance
• PioneerRx