Medication Safety Manager- West Orange, NJ

at  RWJBarnabas Health

JOB OVERVIEW:

The Medication Safety Manager is responsible for medication quality and safety programs, identifying opportunities to improve the safety of medication-use systems, and developing error prevention strategies targeted to reduce patient safety risks. Collaborates with health care providers having medication-related responsibilities to monitor and measure medication-use systems and implement error prevention strategies with consideration of the aging processes and human developmental stages. Responsible for external and inter-department coordination and integration of pharmacy related information systems technology and solution development. Participates in the development and implementation of Pharmacy Services goals and objectives, policies, procedures, and budgets.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Serve as the authoritative resource on medication safety and serve as Chair of Medication Safety Committees.
• Participate in the development, implementation and integration of patient-focused medication quality and safety initiatives in collaboration with other leaders and key constituents.
• Participate in, or lead, multidisciplinary teams concerned with medication errors, adverse drug events and reactions, near misses, policy review, safe medication use, new product review, and patient safety to identify risk points and prioritize system improvements to reduce the potential for medication errors and patient harm.
• Collect, review and analyze established departmental and system-wide Medication Quality and Safety programs including medication-use, medication error, adverse drug reactions, and continuous quality improvement data. Identify needed improvement; develop and lead implementation of high-leverage error-reduction strategies.
• Ensure compliance state and federal medication safety regulatory and legal requirements.
• Investigate medication safety events or issues, including specific error reports. Utilize data- driven performance-improvement methodologies and tools to develop recommendations for action.
• Encourage system-wide medication error reporting. Foster a culture of safety through lessons learned education and communication across the entire the system. Support principles of high-reliability organizations (HRO) within medication-use processes and workflows.
• Provide medication safety education and presentations on safe medication use to diverse audiences (pharmacists and technicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, medical students and physicians).
• Manage medication safety issues caused by drug shortages, replacement drug products, and Lookalike Sound-alike drugs.
• Maintain knowledge of trends and developments in the patient safety field. Collaborate with external medication safety organizations, including Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Medwatch program. Share locally identified and reported medication quality and safety issues with national organizations and manufacturers as appropriate.
• Provide guidance and coordination for medication related information systems and technologies. Provide operational, clinical, and safety recommendations related to installation, maintenance and enhancements of Pharmacy related systems and technologies. Ensure information system and technology processes support established clinical standards of care, meet or exceed patient care quality standards, are in compliance with various regulatory agencies, and integrate with other departments.
• Participate in the development, implementation, and evaluation of pharmacy information systems and technology to consistently meet or exceed customer’s needs, through effective continuous quality improvement practices.
• Maintains knowledge of leading-edge developments, best practices, and evolving information technology systems and solutions by participation in ongoing independent study, education- related professional activities, and affiliations.

OTHER DUTIES:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.