Population Health Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY:

Boston Medical Center Health System (BMCHS) is a leading integrated academic hospital system and regional payer with a deep commitment to public health and a proud history of serving all who come to us for care. BMC provides high-quality health services and support extending beyond our physical campus into our vibrant and diverse communities. As a core member of the Boston Medical Center Health System, Boston Medical Center (BMC) is advancing medicine and training the next generation of healthcare providers and researchers. 
 

As part of BMCHS Population Health, a new initiative is launching to address cardiometabolic health in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston through a multidisciplinary and multidimensional clinical model. As part of the integrated team, the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist works closely with patients who have or are at high risk of developing cardiometabolic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and or obesity. In this role, the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist will work collaboratively with other team members to address the medication-related needs and disease management goals of patients with cardiometabolic conditions, resolving drug-related issues, optimizing drug therapy regimens and supporting medication adherence. The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) will also be working under the clinical supervision of the program's medical director.  This is a unique opportunity for a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist to be part of a dynamic, mission-driven healthcare team serving the Mattapan community and to interface with national experts on community health.

Position: Population Health Clinical Pharmacy Specialist  

Department: POP Health

Schedule: Full-time

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES: 

Work in collaborative fashion with all specialty area nurses, fellows, and attendings toward optimizing patient outcomes, with added focus on improving population health activities important to institutional goals and mission.  

The ambulatory clinical pharmacy specialist will be responsible for providing primary care-focused pharmacotherapy services within the clinic, and evaluate and manage patients with chronic conditions (e.g., DM, Hyperlipidemia, Hypertension, COPD/Asthma, Heart Failure, Smoking Cessation) through direct patient care as outlined in the individual's Collaborative Practice Agreement.  The specialist will work closely within a multidisciplinary team of primary care physicians, medical residents, nurses, and pharmacy liaisons to optimize and promote rational, safe, evidence-based and cost-effective therapy.   The ambulatory clinical pharmacy specialist is responsible for working with patients to identify strengths and barriers and to develop an individualized, patient-centered pharmacotherapy care plan. Excellent interpersonal skills, clinical expertise in conditions managed in the primary care setting, patient engagement skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively are key requirements of the job. 

The primary responsibilities specific to the hospital and the department of Population Health Services (PHS) : 

• Takes an active role in the development and implementation of quality improvement projects 
• Maintains own professional and specialized competency through continued education
• Attends and participates in department staff development conferences or other activities related to staff development. 
• Attends and participates in department staff development conferences or other activities related to staff development.   
• Maintains certification for good clinical practice and human subject protection 
• Participate in the up keeping and build of new and existing order sets and operational and clinical efficiencies in EMR at clinic site 
• In all activities comply with accreditation, legal and regulatory requirements.  
• Maintains HIPAA standards and confidentiality of protected health information.  
• Adheres to departmental/organizational policies and procedures. 
• Meets hospital-wide standards in the following areas: 
• Utilizes hospital's Values as the basis for decision-making and to facilitate the division's hospital mission. 
• Follows established hospital infection control and safety procedures 
• Develops goals for each fiscal year based on the institutional scorecard and under the guidance of Senior Clinical Pharmacy Manager  
• Identifies opportunities for the development of new care management approaches 
• Precepts pharmacy residents and students and participates in the orientation and cross-training of pharmacists 
• Performs other duties as needed.

The primary responsibilities specific to the clinic site: 

• Monitor patients for appropriateness and response to therapy  
• Document pertinent findings in the electronic medical record  
• Develop, document, and execute a patient-centered plan of care utilizing national guidelines or established local protocol 
• Provide ongoing care for chronic problems as delineated in protocol 
• Order laboratory studies 
• Analyze laboratory and diagnostic test data so as to modify drug therapy and dosing as necessary 
• Identify and take specific corrective action for drug-induced problems 
• Notify primary provider regarding atypical findings 
• Provides effective transition of care needs including, but not limited to, medication reconciliation and completing post-discharge phone calls 
• Provides drug education and counseling to patients as outlined in department policies and procedures 
• Provides in-service education to nurses, physicians and other healthcare practitioners, as needed.  
• Provides pharmaceutical care in alignment with population health objectives 
• Demonstrates a whole-person orientation to the provision of patient care 
• Utilizes a patient-centered approach to care, and develops and implements patient-centered pharmaceutical care plans 
• Utilizes motivational interviewing to promote behavior change 
• Educates patient on their medication regimen with the goal of building their self-management skills    
• Collaborates with patient and care team to develop patient-centered care plan, with particular focus on medication adherence 

The primary responsibilities specific to the Mattapan program: 

• Act as a central team member in assessing and addressing medication-related needs for patients with cardiometabolic conditions, emphasizing patient-centered care approaches that improve self-management and health outcomes. 
• Respond to referrals from the program team and proactively reach out to patients who are identified as needing clinical pharmacy services for cardiometabolic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and or obesity.  
• Leads rapid initiation, titration, and optimization of guideline-directed pharmacotherapy for diabetes, hypertension, and obesity; Designs patient-centered pharmacotherapy treatment plans that incorporate both medication adherence and chronic condition management assessments for patients enrolled in the program; partners with other core program team members 
• Work in both telemedicine and in-person settings to meet the needs of the program and patients as it evolves. 
• Adhere to evidence-based principles in providing clinical care to patients 
• Facilitate group didactic sessions for patients in the program in partnership with the Nurse Practitioner. 
• Provides clinical coverage within scope of license when Nurse Practitioner is not available 
• Attends program huddles with other clinical team members. 

(The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job.  The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required). 

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION: 

Work requires a Degree in Pharmacy from an accredited college of pharmacy. 

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS: 

Required: Massachusetts pharmacist license in good standing by the hire date.

Required: Current Board Certification in Pharmacotherapy (BCPS), Ambulatory Care Pharmacy (BCACP), or Geriatric Pharmacy (BCGP); or must obtain certification within one year of eligibility 

EXPERIENCE: 

Requires completion of a PGY1 pharmacy residency program, ambulatory-focus preferred. 

Preferred experience: Direct patient care and Clinical management of primary care-based chronic diseases  

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: 

• Comprehensive understanding of the procedures, systems, and equipment used by pharmacists and technicians in the pharmacy as well as a high level of proficiency in performing pharmacist's duties and responsibilities.  
• High level of analytical ability, organizational and personal management skill and focus to ensure the concerted approach to operations.    
• Professional in conduct and appearance 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively 
• Excellent written and verbal communication 
• Able to maintain professional boundaries 
• Ability to work with a diverse, safety-net population 
• Skilled at motivational interviewing, patient engagement and setting patient-centered goals  
• Creative problem solver 
• Ability to adapt to changes in healthcare delivery at local and systems level 
• Extensive knowledge of healthcare systems and community resources
• Ability to leverage systems and resources for improved patient outcomes 
• Strong organizational and time management skills 
• Proficient with standard software used in healthcare office settings (i.e. MS Word, Excel, web browser, etc.) 

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