Pharmacist/Informaticist

PLEASE NOTE - This position may require temporarily relocation to other TONHC Facilities: Sells Hospital, Santa Rosa Health Center, San Simon Health Center, and San Xavier Health Center.

Position Summary:

The position serves as a unit pharmacist specializing in clinical informatics applications, coordinating the implementation, management, program development, and clinical development of the Pharmacy specific elements of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) and other clinical packages.

Scope of Work:

This position is located within the Sells Hospital Pharmacy in Sells, Arizona but will be required to travel to all TON HC pharmacy locations. This position supports the daily interface between clinicians/medical staff and the Pharmacy related elements of the Electronic Health Record system throughout all facilities within the TONHC. The administrative supervisor, TONHC Chief Supervisory Pharmacist, provides broad direction for this employee and performs the supervisory tasks, including bi-annual evaluations, leave granting, maintaining the supervisor's 7B file, and performing all necessary personnel actions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: (Depending on the area of assignment, an incumbent may not be required to perform some of the duties listed below):

• The incumbent is a specialist/integratory in the local implementation and ongoing support of multi-service clinical software applications.
• Responsible for the services unit-wide set up and maintenance of clinical software and the implementation of new clinical packages/software patches.
• Establishes and develops decision-making processes and program development for clinical software implementation within all service areas.
• Analyzes and evaluates processes related to information flow and serves as a liaison between service lines concerning these processes, including the alignment of multi-system processes to assure proper and accurate data flow related to point-of-care third-party billing and reporting applications.
• Trains providers and other system users to continuously incorporate new technology into their daily practice, along with developing tools to enhance appropriate and accurate documentation and promotion of the importance of data validity and data security to all system users, thus assuring correct clinical documentation of essential data elements and enhancing patient care.
• Development and utilization of drug text, multi-clinic medication, laboratory quick-orders, patient alerts, clinical reminders, and other communication processes/tools to assure optimal patient care by incorporating appropriate pharmacologic therapy based upon national guidelines, TONHC clinical indicators, and area/local policy.
• Maintains awareness and comprehensive understanding of all clinical software activities throughout the region by communicating with system users in a cooperative, timely, and professional manner, thus allowing for a constant evaluation and identification of necessary modifications of existing systems to meet operational requirements.
• Develops treatment protocols, the standard of practice, and policies associated with or enhanced by the Electronic Health Record (EHR) through collaboration with other health professionals and applications coordinators.
• Perform ongoing quality assurance and performance improvement activities through random audits, patient chart reviews, development of review criteria, and RPMS/HER reporting (diabetes audit, clinical reporting system, etc.) capabilities.
• Coordinates with regional Division of Information Resource Management (DIRM) and Office of Information technology (OIT) staff and other application coordinators to implement integrated packages, resolve conflict, provide secondary support on related software modules, and ensure seamless operations in areas where package scope overlaps or is integrated with other functions.

PHARMACY SUPPORT:

• Serve as an outpatient pharmacist for the entire TONHC providing on-site pharmaceutical support.
• Must have a working knowledge of facility Policies & Procedures;
• Serve as a therapeutic consultant to the medical/clinical staff;
• Evaluate medication regimens for appropriateness, interactions, therapeutic duplications, non-adherence, and adverse drug events;
• Accurate filling and dispensing of prescription and over-the-counter medications;
• Interview patient/proxy to ascertain significant past and current medical and pharmaceutical history;
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Routine duties shall include providing pharmacy and drug information services to individuals eligible for services provided by the TONHC in homes, schools, clinics, job sites, and other community locations.
• Contribute to a team effort.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of concepts, principles, practices, and techniques of pharmacy to provide direct patient services.
• Knowledge of Federal laws and regulations on pharmacy operations.
• Knowledge of the physical and chemical properties and characteristics of substances, the therapeutic action of drugs, and chemical, biological, pharmacological, and biopharmaceutical science principles.
• Knowledge of appropriate resource and reference material and their use. Knowledge and evidence of an interest in RPMS software packages and various automated pharmacy systems such as ScriptPro and Pyxis or medical informatics.
• Experience serving as a liaison between groups within an organization, an effective member of organizational teams, and coordinating software implementation projects.
• Must possess a working knowledge of current healthcare industry Privacy Act and security requirements, TONHC RPMS clinical software applications, and national policies and procedures.
• Must be skilled in problem-solving, interpersonal relationships in the workplace, and conflict resolution.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (BS Pharm), which includes professional knowledge of the theories, principles, practices, and clinical and basic pharmacy techniques to provide direct clinical pharmaceutical patient services.
• Must have a minimum of four years of pharmacy experience.
• Alternately – A doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) or Master's Degree is required, which includes professional knowledge of the theories, principles, practices, and clinical and basic pharmacy techniques to provide direct clinical pharmaceutical patient services.
• Must have a minimum of two years of pharmacy experience.

Licenses, Certifications, Special Requirements:

• Specialty Board Certification or completion of an ASHP or APHA hospital or ambulatory pharmacy residence or National Certification in one chronic disease state is preferred.
• License to practice pharmacy in at least one State or US Territory. A copy of the active, unrestricted license must be submitted.
• Medical Requirement: Must be able to distinguish basic colors.
• Immunization against Measles and Rubella is required; an influenza vaccine is recommended.
• Upon recommendation for hire, a criminal background and a National FBI fingerprint check are required to determine suitability for employment, including a 39-month driving record.
• May require possessing and maintaining a valid driver's license (no DUIs or major traffic citations within the last three years).
• If required, must meet the Tohono O'odham Nation tribal employer's insurance requirements to receive a driver's permit to operate program vehicles.
• Based on the department's needs, incumbents may be required to demonstrate fluency in both the Tohono O'odham language and English as employment conditions.