A California licensed pharmacist who provides pharmaceutical care to patients by promoting health; preventing disease; and assessing, monitoring, initiating, and modifying medication use to assure that drug therapy regimens are safe and effective.   To improve an individual patients’ quality of life through achievement of medication related therapeutic outcomes by identifying, resolving, and preventing potential medication related problems.  Complies with applicable laws and regulations.  Responsible for the safe, effective, and fiscally responsible procurement, distribution, and control of all medications in the medication use process.  Provides direct supervision to technicians, interns, students, and other ancillary personnel.

This position requires the full understanding and active participation in fulfilling the mission of AHMC Anaheim Regional Medical Center. It is expected that the employee demonstrate behavior consistent with the core values of AHMC Anaheim Regional Medical Center and AHMC Healthcare Inc. The employee shall support AHMC-Anaheim Regional Medical Center’s strategic plan and goals and direction of the performance improvement plan. The employee will also be expected to support all organizational expectations including, but not limited to; Customer Service, Patient’s Rights, Confidentiality of Information, Environment of Care and other initiatives.

Essential Job Functions

1. Consistently applies infection control policies/practices.

• Understands and practices standard precautions for self and others in patient care activities.
• Understands and practices appropriate disease-specific isolation.
• Appropriately handles and disposes of sharps (i.e., needles, etc.) as required.
• Ensures sterility of supplies and equipment.
• Meets population/age specific competencies per unit specific addendum. 

3. Attends department specific education/training, inservices, and staff meetings.

• Attends mandatory inservices/educational/training activities.
• Submits all required paperwork on time.
• Verifies, by signature/initials, attendance at staff meetings or reading of staff meeting minutes. 

4. Department specific performance improvement project.

• Actively assists in unit performance improvement monitoring.
• Knows and understands PDSA model for unit’s Performance Improvement Program.
• Demonstrates understanding of performance improvement principles in job performance. 

5. Provides pharmaceutical care in accordance with law and regulation.

• Complies with medication use policies and procedures and dispenses all medications per legal order.
• Participates in quality assurance program by reporting all adverse drug events, prescribing errors, and pharmacist interventions.
• Participates in successful completion of biannual Board of Pharmacy survey and the Joint Commission/CMS/DHS accreditation.
• Performs medication storage inspections and educates health care professionals on deficiencies as directed by management.
• Documents in the medical record according to policy and procedure in a clear, concise, and legible manner. 

6. Optimizes medication use to ensure beneficial patient outcomes.

• Expands pharmaceutical care through compliance with pharmacy protocols and therapeutic substitution guidelines.
• Demonstrates the ability to safely and competently provide care in emergency situations through participation in the Code Blue team.
• Demonstrates the ability to use critical thinking process as a framework for management of patient care.
• Assess complex patient needs
• Differentiate between normal/abnormal findings
• Complete initial/reassessment within required timeframes
• Determine if intervention required, completes and documents intervention
• Establish a plan of care based upon assessments and findings
• Communicate the plan of care to members of the patient care team
• Demonstrate sound clinical judgement in decision-making regarding patient care
• Coordinate with other involved disciplines
• Evaluate effectiveness of patient care
• Re-evaluate and modifies plan of care when indicated
• Incorporates best practice standards and safe medication practices into daily practice
• Actively participates in hospital wide committees as assigned to promote safe and effective medication use.

7. Participates in cost containment strategies for the department.

• Maintains responsibility and accountability for use of non-formulary drugs through physician communication to change prescribing practice, following procedure and documenting non-formulary drug requests.
• Actively participates in action plans to maintain pharmaceutical inventory at appropriate levels as determined by management. 

8. Serves as a drug information resource to patients and professional staff.

• Serves as a resource to physician and nursing staff for patient specific drug information queries.
• Communicates drug shortage information and acceptable alternatives to medical staff and other health professional staff as required. 

9. Educates and trains students and new staff.

• Precepts pharmacy students, pharmacy technician students, and interns within the department.
• Actively participates in training new staff and provides feedback to management.
• Demonstrates continual development of clinical expertise and current knowledge of health care trends related to pharmacy practice.

10. Demonstrates leadership skills that positively contribute to the medical center.

• Serves as a patient advocate as circumstances require.
• Collaborates with the healthcare team, patient, and family to coordinate patient care delivery, utilizing available tools (i.e. plan of care, progress notes).
• Collaborates with appropriate individuals to promote department and organizational efficiency, quality of care and prompt problem resolution.
• Participates in implementing action plans to maintain and/or improve nursing satisfaction with pharmacy services.
• Provides direction and delegates to ancillary and technician staff within specific scopes of practice and competencies as workload dictates

Licenses/Certifications/Education/Training/Experience

• Current CA Registered Pharmacist License
• Current Healthcare Provider BLS (AHA) required
• Doctor of pharmacy degree or bachelor of science degree in pharmacy
• Minimum six months acute care experience as a pharmacist in an inpatient hospital pharmacy setting with clinical exposure or a pharmacy practice residency with equivalent experience
• Completion of an ASHP accredited pharmacy residency preferred
• A working knowledge of pharmacokinetic principles
• An ability to effectively communicate verbally with patients and health care workers
• Proficient understanding of common computer programs used in pharmacy practice