SUMMARY

This position supports Mercy’s philosophy of patient centered care by developing, expanding, and providing clinical pharmacy services. The Associate Director of Clinical Pharmacy facilitates the development, implementation and maintenance of systems that promote desirable patient outcomes through safe, appropriate, cost-effective medication therapies.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to lead meetings, prioritize, resolve conflicts, maintain issue lists, and coordinate projects.
• Ability to analyze and conceptualize the service ramifications of user needs and information systems functions and capabilities.
• Possesses and applies problem solving skills.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• 5 years hospital experience, Preferred.
• Previous supervisory experience, preferred.

EDUCATION

• Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in pharmacy, required. Postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) and Postgraduate year 2 (PGY-2) residency preferred

• Leadership Competencies
• Leading
• Formulates a future course that reflects departmental needs and is aligned with Mercy’s vision. Translates the course into team goals and objectives, sets priorities, and directs the efforts of staff towards accomplishing them.
• Recognizes and acts on opportunities for growth and improvement to advance Mercy’s goals.
• Inspires staff enthusiasm for and generates commitment to departmental and organizational goals.
• Standards and Accountability
• Holds team and self responsible for maintaining the highest possible performance standards and meeting agreed upon commitments.
• Sets and maintains high standards for service to patients, physicians, colleagues, and other Mercy departments. Incorporates needs and concerns of diverse constituencies into decision making.
• Planning and Decision Making
• Analyzes problems systematically and logically and is resourceful when developing and implementing solutions.
• Applies key financial concepts and analysis to decision making. Understands drivers of financial performance and takes these into account when developing strategies and making decisions.
• Develops and implements work plans with actionable components and measurable outcomes. Proactively monitors key performance indicators and makes real-time adjustments to ensure that progress stays on track.
• Regularly reassesses priorities and competing demands and adjusts allocation of own and staff time and resources to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Communication
• Articulates logical and well-founded arguments that support conclusions. Matches communication style to the message and audience. Actively solicits opinions from others. Routinely provides others with the information they need to do their jobs.
• Routinely shares suggestions, advice, and insights on progress toward goals. Provides performance feedback that is constructive and actionable, and that highlights successes as well as areas for growth based on objective metrics.
• Developing People
• Selects and attracts outstanding staff from diverse backgrounds. Identifies and fills gaps in team skills and knowledge.
• Defines development objectives for self and staff that support performance goals and progress toward future skill development. Assists staff in developing their own careers by encouraging them to articulate their career goals, offering challenging growth opportunities, and providing necessary coaching and training.
• Managing Relationships
• Builds and maintains long-term relationships with others based on mutual respect and trust. Fosters cooperation and collaborative decision-making among staff with diverse backgrounds and interests. When conflict arises, works effectively towards solutions and compromises that take the needs of all parties into account.
• Provides regular updates on goal progress and works with own manager to minimize risks and resolve problems.

Job Duties

• Expands existing clinical services and develops new programs that target optimal drug therapies and patient outcomes while containing acquisition costs of drugs.
• Coordinates the selection and safe use of alternative medications in response to medication shortages.
• Directs the clinical monitoring and intervention program to enhance medication selection, administration, and dosing.
• Provides leadership in departmental strategic planning for clinical resources and utilization of Clinical Pharmacists, Pharmacy Residents, and Pharmacy Students by coordinating overall activities to maximize productivity, evaluating the need for additional infrastructure and resources to meet service goals, and providing guidance regarding appropriate expenditure of time and resources for each clinical pharmacist.
• Reviews and assesses clinical capabilities of each staff pharmacist and provides direction to improve clinical competency. Develops competency measures for the professional staff.
• Assumes a lead role in developing the P&T committee agenda and research needs.
• Provides, directs, and enhances staff development and continuing education through in-service education, printed materials, and competencies for pharmacists, technicians, nurses, medical staff, and other patient care services staff.
• Establishes and monitors drug use and expense benchmarks, providing input on changing drug expense trends and coordinating Drug Use Evaluations (DUEs).
• Participates in the quality improvement activities of the department and organization.
• Supports educational mission through didactic and/or experiential training of pharmacy students, providing goals for learning expectations and completing student evaluations.
• Responsible for maintaining a working knowledge of and conforming to regulatory requirements concerning clinical services and is competent regarding recent developments in the field of pharmacy.
• Sustains professional competence and promotes development through participation in in-services, workshops, seminars, and professional organizations.
• Serves as a liaison between pharmacy, nursing, and other departments to achieve desired results and resolve problems.
• Manages human resource related issues (scheduling, hiring, promotion, training, competency assessment and dealing with personnel and performance issues) for direct reports and other staff members.
• Works with staff on an ongoing basis to improve performance, guiding and coaching staff in solving problems which arise including completion of performance evaluations and providing feedback to direct reports.
• Coordinates, leads, and records team and department staff meetings.
• Gathers, interprets, and effectively communicates departmental, organizational, and industry information inter- and intra-departmentally.
• Promotes effective working relations and works effectively as part of a team inter- and intra-departmentally to facilitate the department’s ability to meet its goals and objectives.
• Follows Mercy’s safety guidelines, carries out job- specific safety duties and responsibilities, and promptly reports any unsafe conditions, situations, incidents and injuries.