To Apply for this Job Click Here
Clinical Pharmacist
Location: Lake Charles, LA
Job Type: Full-Time
Department: Pharmacy
Job Summary
The Clinical Pharmacist fills medication orders, monitors patient drug therapies, and provides comprehensive drug information to healthcare providers, patients, and families. The pharmacist delivers high-quality pharmacy services with compassion, excellence, and efficiency to ensure safe and effective patient care.
Schedule & Work Hours
- Shift Lengths:
- Monday–Thursday: 8-hour or 10-hour shifts
- Friday–Sunday: 12-hour shifts
- Evening Shifts: 11:00 AM–9:00 PM or 12:00 PM–10:00 PM
- Evening Rotation: Approximately once every three weeks
- Weekend Rotation: Day shifts; typically every third or fourth weekend once fully staffed
Major Job Responsibilities
Operational Responsibilities
- Prepares and dispenses medication orders accurately per physician request, adhering to established facility policies, procedures, and safety protocols.
- Interprets verbal and written drug orders, transcribing and verifying them into the computerized electronic health record (EHR).
- Maintains accurate and complete patient drug records.
- Compounds and dispenses pharmaceuticals, including non-sterile and sterile compounding, chemotherapy, and parenteral nutrition products.
- Dispenses controlled substances to patient care units while maintaining complete documentation as required by federal, state, and institutional regulations.
- Supervises and directs pharmacy support personnel, verifying the daily activities of pharmacy technicians.
- Ensures efficient and timely pharmacy workflow.
- Maintains an active state pharmacist license, ensuring continuing education (CE) records and licensure requirements are updated and documented.
- Ambulatory Care (if assigned): Provides ambulatory pharmaceutical care services utilizing approved protocols and collaborative practice agreements. Manages patient drug therapy, anticoagulation therapy, patient education, and medication reconciliation across clinics, intensive medical home settings, and transitions of care.
Clinical Responsibilities
- Ensures safe, appropriate, and cost-effective drug therapies for patients according to clinical evidence and facility guidelines.
- Monitors patient drug regimens for contraindications, drug-drug/drug-food interactions, allergies, and appropriate selection and dosing.
- Manages pharmacokinetics consult services and renal dosage adjustments per institutional protocols.
- Conducts clinical interventions, including IV-to-PO conversion, renal dosing, pharmacokinetic monitoring, and anticoagulation management, recording interventions to meet departmental quality goals.
- Reviews patient medical records accurately to guide clinical decision-making.
- Detects, documents, and reports suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and medication events in a timely manner.
- Supports the facility drug formulary, minimizing non-formulary procurements, utilizing therapeutic substitution protocols, and promoting cost-effective, rational drug therapy.
- Provides clinical consultation to physicians, nurses, and other multidisciplinary team members.
- Delivers timely and accurate drug information and clinical education to facility staff, patients, and families.
- Participates in antibiotic stewardship, opioid stewardship, and drug shortage management initiatives.
- Attends interdisciplinary patient rounds as assigned.
- Participates in quality improvement (QI) initiatives, medication use evaluations (MUEs), data collection, and regular departmental inspections.
Qualifications
Education & Experience
- Education: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) or Bachelor of Science (BS) in Pharmacy from an accredited school of pharmacy required.
- Experience: Hospital or clinical pharmacy experience preferred.
Licensure & Certifications
- Active Pharmacy License issued by the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy (or eligible for licensure within 60 days of start date) required.
- Basic Life Support (BLS) or Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) certification required.
- Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification required for pediatric specialty practice areas.