Clinical Pharmacist - Infectious Diseases Outpatient Clinic / Inpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship

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About Duke University Hospital

Pursue your passion for caring with Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, which is consistently ranked among the best in the United States and is the number one hospital in North Carolina, according to U.S. News and World Report for 2023-2024. Duke University Hospital is the largest of Duke Health's three hospitals and features 1048 patient beds, 65 operating rooms, as well as comprehensive diagnostic and therapeutic facilities, including a regional emergency/trauma center, an endo-surgery center, and more.

Working Hours:

• 40-hours/week
• Day shift

Applicable Position Description: Clinical Pharmacist – Infectious Diseases (ID) Outpatient Clinic and Inpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship

Position Summary: The Duke University Hospital (DUH) Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) program improves patient safety by facilitating earlier discharge of patients on intravenous (IV) anti-infectives, providing close laboratory monitoring and documentation, and improving communication at transitions of care. The main role of this position is to support operations of the OPAT clinic, joining one clinical pharmacist practicing in this role. The position will also develop a transitions of care workflow from inpatient to the outpatient setting for OPAT patients with a focus on reducing readmissions. The position will have dedicated time to support the Antimicrobial Stewardship and Evaluation Team (ASET) inpatient stewardship program on a weekly basis. ASET is dedicated to enhancing the quality of antimicrobial use throughout Duke University Hospital (DUH). This position will provide support alongside two ambulatory infectious diseases/HIV pharmacists, three antimicrobial stewardship pharmacists, and working collaboratively with the Department of Pharmacy, medical staff, and other healthcare workers under the direction of the Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Services Coordinator to support both inpatient to outpatient infectious diseases pharmacy programs.

Duties and Responsibilities:
Clinical Practice and Medication Management: Infectious Diseases Outpatient Clinic

• Provides clinical pharmacy support for the Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Program.

• Participates in clinic and provides clinical pharmacy services and oversight for safe use of medication for patients receiving home antimicrobial infusion therapies, such as:

  • Completes medication reconciliation activities

  • Provides medication counseling/education

  • Interprets pharmacokinetic/therapeutic drug monitoring data and makes dose change recommendations as deemed appropriate

  • Screens for drug interactions, therapeutic duplications, omissions, etc.

  • Monitors patients for therapeutic and/or toxic response to medication

  • Coordinates patient care with inpatient, home infusion, home health, and skilled nursing care teams

  • Ensures continuity of care with antimicrobial therapy

• Development and continued maintenance of inpatient to outpatient OPAT transitions with goal of reducing readmissions for this population

• Provides support to improve safety and to reduce risk to patients treated in the ID programs. Reports events and/or concerns via the safety reporting system.

• Provides oversight of cost-effective use of medications and treatments. This includes risk reduction and correct utilization of resources to optimize care.

• Provides support to assure compliance with The Joint Commission accreditation standards.

• Coordinates with Duke Retail Pharmacies and Patient Assistance Program teams to provide seamless medication access to patients. Optional participation in Specialty Pharmacy on-call coverage.

• Facilitates prescription fulfillment through Duke Retail pharmacies.

• Serves as a resource for Duke Retail Pharmacy staff on ID-related medication issues.

• Proactively assesses and ensures medication adherence and makes appropriate documentation on the inquiry

• Provides oversight of ID staff education for critical elements of medication use in patient care and clinical research.

• Educates medical, nursing, and pharmacy staff about the management, prescribing, and monitoring of ID therapies.

• Supports HIV and ambulatory ID as needed for cross coverage.

Clinical Practice and Medication Management: Inpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship

• Perform prospective and retrospective antimicrobial review, feedback, and (when indicated) intervention throughout DUH (adults and pediatrics)

• Collaborate with other members of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Evaluation Team (ASET) interdisciplinary team to establish models and procedures to audit and provide prescriber feedback in order to optimize antimicrobial prescribing practices

• Represent ASET to front-line prescribers and administrative leaders at DUH

• Work to ensure optimal compliance with anti-infective related clinical pathways and guidelines

• Participate in the review of requests for restricted antibiotic use

Duke University Hospital Department of Pharmacy

• Maintains familiarity with all departmental programs and works as an integral part of the pharmacy team.

• Models behaviors that exemplify Duke's core values, including teamwork, integrity, diversity, excellence and safety.

• Takes responsibility for personal and professional growth.

• Ability to pursue Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) designation.

• Participates in the education of pharmacy students and residents.

• Participate in the conduct of didactic and experiential training of present and future pharmacists and physicians in principles of antimicrobial stewardship

• Presents scholarly materials at educational conferences for the ID program and pharmacy professional meetings and organizations (Duke, State/Local, National)

• Understands and actively participates in the achievement of division and departmental financial goals

• Develops and participates in pharmacy-related research projects and quality improvement initiatives

• Provides leadership in developing guidelines, order forms, and critical pathways to improve care and safety of patients.

Required or desired advanced knowledge and skills and abilities: Advanced leadership skills, demonstrating progressive degrees of responsibility, the ability to lead projects and people, and to consistently deliver results; proficiency in knowledge translation, critical appraisal, implementing evidenced-based strategies, change management, and teaching; scholarly potential, interest, and participation in academic research; effective written and verbal communication skills; ability to establish and maintain working relationships with various members of health care teams; effective analysis of data and processes for opportunities for improvement; ability to manage numerous diverse projects simultaneously through effective priority setting, efficient use of time, organization; knowledge of accreditation standards and regulations related to health care; attention to detail and accuracy; and computer literacy
 

Required Qualifications at this Level

Education

• Doctor of Pharmacy Degree

         OR

• BS Pharmacy Degree

Experience

• With a BS Pharmacy degree, two years of pharmacy practice experience, or acceptable board certification, or completion of an accredited residency program and demonstrated ability to achieve positive patient outcomes in a similar environment is required.

• With Doctor of Pharmacy degree, no experience is required.

• Three years of clinical hospital experience and/or completion of a PGY1 residency and PGY2 residency in infectious diseases.

• Experience as a member of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program is preferred.

Degrees, Licensures, Certifications

• Licensed Pharmacist or eligible to practice pharmacy in North Carolina

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to communicate clearly in oral and written form.

• Extensive knowledge of drug products, medical therapeutics, pharmacokinetics, and disease states. Ability to work with information systems, automated and technical equipment.

• Ability to establish and maintain working relationships with various members of health care teams

Distinguishing Characteristics of this Level

• N/A

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.