Pharmacist (10700)

JOB SUMMARY

To ensure appropriate, reliable, and consistent pharmacological patient care through the distribution, control, and delivery, of pharmaceuticals in a manner consistent with professional standards and local, state, and federal law.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Dispenses prescribed medications, drugs, and other pharmaceuticals to customers for treatment of short or long term illness or injury.
• Where an apparent conflict of information or a contra-indication exists for a particular patient, the pharmacist collects, organizes, and evaluates relevant information from doctors and patients concerning a patients current need for medication.
• Reviews prescriptions, dispensing order, issued by a physician or other authorized prescriber to ensure accuracy and review the drug history of the patient when available. Telephones the physician if synergistic, antagonistic and/or cumulative effects, such as possible duplications and incompatibilities are apparent.
• Request and monitor the receipt of supplemental documentation required for DMEPOS items to be covered by Medicare.
• Documents the results of discussions with doctors and patients, identifying current and potential medication treatment.
• Provides medication counseling to patients regarding appropriate drug or pharmaceutical use. Answers questions and provides information on drug interactions, side effects, and dosage and storage of pharmaceuticals. Communicates clearly with patients to ensure proper health care.
• Provides or coordinates the provision of appropriate information related to the setup, features, routine use, troubleshooting, cleaning, and maintenance of any DMEPOS items provided.
• Advise beneficiaries and caregivers about appropriate safety considerations.
• Provide relevant information and/or instructions about infection control issues related to the use of equipment/items.
• Tailor training and instruction materials and approaches to the needs, abilities, learning preferences, language, and readiness to learn of individual beneficiaries/caregivers and ensure such training is commensurate with the risks, complexity and manufacturers instructions and/or specifications for items.
• Compounds medications, using standard formulas and processes, such as weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, when drugs are not commercially available.
• Prepares, dispenses, packages, and labels medications, as prescribed by physician, including intravenous (IV) admixtures.
• Assure that the automated pharmacy dispensing system is in good working order and accurately dispenses the correct strength, dosage form, and quantity of the drug prescribed while maintaining appropriate record keeping and security safeguards.
• Implement an ongoing quality assurance program that monitors performance of the automated pharmacy dispensing system, which is evidenced by written policies and procedures adopted by the pharmacy.
• Process prescriptions thru pharmacy operating system to bill Medicare and third party payers. Monitor computer system edits to ensure that all information provided supports compliance with Medicare and third party payer policies.
• Enters data, such as patient names, prescribed medications, and medications costs to maintain pharmacy files, patient charge systems, and inventory.
• Ensure that all policies and procedures are in computerized form or if written shall be collected in a format such as a three-ring binder that can easily be accessed, updated and revised as necessary.
• Establish policies and procedures for maintaining the integrity and confidentiality of prescription information an patient health care information, or verifying the existence thereof and ensuring that all employees of the pharmacy read, sign and comply with the established policies and procedures.
• Keep apprised of current CMS, DEA, Board of Pharmacy rules and regulations by monitoring trade publications, newsletters, subscribing to Listserves and participation in continuing education opportunities.
• Monitors and instructs pharmacological duties of Pharmacy Technicians.
• Responsible for required record keeping of drugs and devices that are destroyed, surrendered to the Board, or returned to the wholesaler or manufacturer for disposal.
• Make, file and maintain necessary records to be compliant with local, state, and federal laws.
• Completes and documents inspections of all assigned medication storage areas on assigned month.
• Responsible for enforcing security standards for the prescription area.
• Implements a procedure for drug recalls which may include, when appropriate, contacting patients whom the recalled drug product(s) have been dispensed. Identifies and replaces outdated and unusable drugs and addresses medication security issues.
• Maintains current pharmacist licensure in the State of Vermont.
• Participates in training, in staff meetings, and on committees as required.
• Trains, mentors and supervises students and clinical support staff as appropriate.
• Responsible for proper closing of the drug outlet; or if a foreclosure or bankruptcy, the official in charge shall obtain the services of a pharmacist to serve as acting pharmacy-manager.
• Performs other duties as assigned.