POSITION SUMMARY:

• The Pharmacist is responsible for maintaining the drug-delivery system within the Health Center, i.e. providing the right drug to the right patient at the right time.
• Has authority to evaluate drug therapy which includes drug-drug, drug-disease, drug-food, and drug-allergy interactions from prescription data, clinical data, collected histories, and patient script profile history.
• Has the authority to identify, resolve, and document patient specific drug therapy problems and issues.
• Maintains informational and clinical relationships with Providers, Clinic Managers, and Manager of Clinical-Specilaty Pharmacy.
• He/She is empowered to utilize any support staff within the department.
• Has the authority to prepare and dispense prescription medicine in accordance with the Health Center policies and all State/Federal regulations.
• Has authority to act as a source of drug information for all clinicians.
• Has authority to supervise the activities of the Pharmacy Technicians and/or Pharmacy Interns.
• Has authority to handle minor problems that occur, and to refer major problems or complaints to the Director of Pharmacy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Primary Responsibilities:

• Perform post-verification (PV-2) after (PV-1) prescriptions for claim/pre fill Drug Utilization Reviews(DURs) have been completed by PV-1 pharmacists.
• Since all clinical DUR’s and data entry has been verified as accurate by the PV-1 pharmacist, must be able to perform the required high volume of PV-2 prescriptions to be sent for dispensing as set forth by the Director of Pharmacy’s requirements.
• Must be able to accurately look at notes concerning details about setting packages up for expedited deliveries and corrected addresses to ensure the patients receive their medications on time.
• Use effective communication and clinical skills to interact with other healthcare providers and patients.
• Assist in the Pharmacy Department’s Cost-Savings Initiative Program, which includes:
  • Drug Utilization Review to maintain the most cost-effective and therapeutically effective medication therapy for the US Family Health Plan members.
  • Assist with Prior Authorization and Medical Necessity requests for USFHP patients.
• Notifies the Manager of Pharmacy Operations immediately of any incidents representing potential or actual liability. Must have the ability to utilize the online incident reporting system.
• Demonstrates respect and regard for the dignity of all patients, families, visitors, and fellow employees to ensure a professional, responsible, and courteous environment.
• Shall be accountable for abiding by all Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations standards and regulations as applicable to the job position.
• Commits to recognize and respect cultural diversity for all customers (internal and external).
• Communicates effectively with internal and external customers with respect of differences in cultures, values, beliefs and ages, utilizing interpreters when needed.

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Must be able to utilize pharmacy software system to aid in the review and preparation of prescriptions. This shall include preverification, label generation, editing prescriptions, product verification, preparing various cost-analysis reports, adding drugs to the database, and other functions as deemed appropriate by the Director of Pharmacy.
• Assists Manager of Pharmacy Operations to train and direct support staff in order to maintain and streamline daily pharmacy operations in order to provide the most expedient, safe and accurate pharmacy services.
• Assist Director of Pharmacy with any special projects as needed.
• Answer telephone calls promptly and courteously while identifying name and position title to the caller.
• Must be able to interact with the pharmacy software computer vendor’s help desk to resolve issues that arise.
• Must possess a proficiency to utilize and navigate the health center’s electronic health record system.
• Assist in any Quality Management projects and data gathering as requested by the Manager of Clinical-Specialty Pharmacy.
• Assist in ordering medications through the wholesaler.
• Assist in preparation of yearly pharmacy inventory.
• Shall be accountable for obtaining medications and supplies in the most cost effective manner.
• Shall be accountable for maintaining the confidentiality and security of all hospital-related, medical staff-related, and patient-related data and information.
• Shall be accountable for abiding by all relevant health center policies and procedures.
• Must be proficient with pharmacy robotics.
• Performs other duties as assigned

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

Minimum skills/abilities:

Strong orientation to patient care in accordance with the Medical Center's values.

High level of clinicial knowledge to perform drug utilization reviews.

Computer literacy with proficiency in general word-processing and data entry.

Strong organizational, prioritization, communication, and mathematical skills.

Knowledge of third party payers and insurance plans.

Ability to understand the importance of and respect the confidentiality of all patient information.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/LICENSURE/TECHNICAL/OTHER:

1. Education: BS in Pharmacy.
2. Experience: Must have experience working in a retail or managed care pharmacy.
3. Certification/Licensure: Registration as a Pharmacist in the State of Massachusetts and must meet the continuing education requirements as set forth by the Board of Registration in Pharmacy.
4. Software/Hardware: Must have experience with pharmacy systems.