Lead Pharmacist

Summary

This is a U.S. Public Health Service position within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC), Clinical Services Division, Medical Services Unit. This is a non-supervisory position.

This position is only open to USPHS officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates.

Duties

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES:

1. Leads the provision of all on-site pharmaceutical services at the specified detention facility with >50% of time spent on clinical tasks. Pharmaceutical program leadership includes setting the goals, objectives, and direction for the pharmacy program at the assigned facility and leading a team of 1-3 contractor pharmacists and/or pharmacy technicians. Plan and organize their own work, ensure equitably balanced workload among the on-site pharmacy staff members, provide instruction and orientation to pharmacy staff, set and adjust short-term priorities, prepare schedules for completion of work, and provide guidance and mentorship to interdisciplinary junior staff to develop clinical judgement, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
2. Dispense prescription drug orders in accordance with agency formulary and policy and procedures. Exercises independent judgment in reviewing patient prescription orders for appropriateness, including drug-drug, drug-disease, and drug-allergy contraindications and precautions. Judgmental failure could seriously affect the health status of one or more individuals.
3. Provides direct clinical care services to detainees within the delineated scope of practice in their Physician-Clinical Pharmacist Collaborative Practice Agreement in conformance with established criteria and guidelines, accreditation standards, and agency policies and procedures. Assignments, including patient panel and collateral duties, are usually long-term, recurring, or broadly defined. Work is reviewed periodically for effectiveness in meeting quality assurance and compliance standards.
4. Provides pharmaceutical care services, including drug information, medication therapy consultation, and advice to other health professionals on complex patient problems, at the highest level of independence; utilizes extensive knowledge base and flexibility to adapt to unusual circumstances requiring variations in approach, and in the presence of incomplete or conflicting data.
5. Performs comprehensive medical histories and physical examinations and exercises independent judgment to make diagnosis(es), develop and implement treatment plans and document encounters in the patient's medical record. Decision-making authority includes determining need for specialist referral(s), prescription medication(s), special needs accommodation(s), and follow-up schedule. May implement court-ordered examinations, interventions, or monitoring. Provide medication counseling and information services directly to patients to ensure that they understand their medications, how to take them, and appropriate outcomes of their drug therapies.
6. Manages pharmaceutical inventory, including maintaining appropriate quantities and temperature requirements and replenishing after-hours and emergency stock, in accordance with IHSC policies and procedures. Conducts monthly inventories of all controlled substances and inspects all clinic areas where pharmaceuticals are stored.
7. If a Medical Housing Unit (MHU) is onsite, may admit, discharge, and perform daily rounds on patients who require higher levels of care or monitoring.
8. Collaborates with contacts within the Department on a routine basis to coordinate medical care services for patients, as well as to develop and implement processes to improve public and population health.
9. Participates in ongoing quality assurance and performance improvement activities including audits, chart reviews, and development of review criteria.
10. Participates in the Clinical Pharmacist Peer Review process, and as an active member in one or more institutional committees which may include Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Infection Prevention, Critical Care, or others as designated.
11. On a monthly basis, reports pharmacy workload and expense information, including accomplishments, problems and measures taken for resolution, meetings attended, and facilities visited to the local H.S.A, the respective Regional Chief Pharmacist, and the IHSC Chief Pharmacist.
12. Provides temporary duty (TDY) coverage to IHSC staffed facilities and special missions as needed. All staff must be available for an entire month, or two 16-day periods, each year to support the IHSC TDY On-Call (ITOS) Program.
13. Completes all required training and attends on-site, regional, and national meetings as required.
14. Performs other duties as assigned.

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