Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Learning Health Systems

The Opportunity

This position serves as an expert resource and consultant to external IWK Health partners that provide care to the neonatal and pediatric populations throughout the Maritimes. The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist has an advanced practice role within the Pharmacy Department, IWK Health interdisciplinary teams and external IWK Health partners.  The Pediatric Learning Health System works with Maritime partners to address complex challenges facing pediatric health care. We strive for integration of real time clinical data, sharing of evidence based pediatric care standards, informed local patient-oriented research, and connected care, all with patients and families at the center.

As a part of the Peds-LHS team, the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist will serve as a leader, mentor, and educator within IWK Health and external partners. They develop and implement standards of practice, conduct research, contribute to literature, and act as a clinical resource & educator for neonatal and pediatric medication therapy management to IWK Health external partners throughout the Maritimes.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Proactively identifies, prevents, and resolves drug-related issues (e.g. patient receiving an inappropriate agent, patient requires drug therapy and is not receiving it, dose is too high, dose is too low, patient is at risk of developing or is experiencing an adverse drug reaction, drug therapy is no longer required, patient is at risk of or experiencing a clinically important drug interaction)
• Responds to consultations on neonatal and pediatric medication therapy management from IWK Health external partners
• Provides solicited and unsolicited recommendations to interdisciplinary teams regarding medications to address complex drug related issues. This includes investigating, initiating, and changing medications within scope of practice.
• Actively participates in patient rounds and/or outpatient clinics to monitor ongoing medication-related issues and to make recommendations and within scope of practice, change medications for the purpose of resolving on-going, drug-related issues  
• Documents pharmaceutical care plans to medical, nursing, and allied health professional staff. This includes dictated letters to family physicians or other referring health care professionals when patients are seen in the ambulatory care setting
• Verbally communicates pharmaceutical care plans to medical, nursing and allied health professional staff
• Remains up to date in therapeutic specialty areas
• Serves as liaison to members of the Pharmacy team within the circle of care to ensure continuity of services provided with clinical needs. This includes Pharmacy teams within healthcare institutions and within the community.
• Actively participates in teaching and administrative activities at Dalhousie University (e.g. undergraduate pharmacy students, undergraduate and post-graduate medical trainees, nurse practitioner students, committee membership)
• Develops specific programs and standards of practice to promote best practices and the cost-effective use of medications in neonatal and pediatric populations throughout the Maritimes. 
• Trains new direct patient care pharmacists 
• In collaboration with appropriate interdisciplinary team members, develops, implements and/or reviews goals and objectives for pharmacy practice, education and research
• Actively participates in clinical or epidemiologic research, independently or in collaboration with health centre staff (physicians, nurses) or university faculty
• Publishes professional papers (review articles, case reports, book chapters) in high-quality peer reviewed journals or texts, thereby contributing to the advancement of pharmacy practice

Hours of Work

75 hours bi-weekly.

Your Qualifications

• Entry-Level Pharmacy Degree, required 
• Completion of a Hospital Pharmacy Residency Program or equivalent professional experience, required 
• Advanced Practice Pharmacy Education (eg: Post-Graduate PharmD, Year 2 Residency, Pediatric Pharmacy Specialty Certification, M.Sc.),required
• Licensed or eligible for licensure with Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists as an Active Direct Patient Care Pharmacist
• Eligible for cross- appointment to Dalhousie University College of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Professions and/or the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine
• Active member of Canadian Society of Healthcare-Systems Pharmacy
• Minimum of two years teaching and research experience in a pediatric institutional setting, or formal training in teaching and research (e.g. post-Pharm.D fellowship, M.Sc., M.Ed. etc) is preferred.

Desired Assets:

• Ability to apply critical thinking skills to prevent and resolve drug‑related problems and evidence based practice.
• Ability to think reflectively, question assumptions, access alternatives and to lead and support change.
• Ability to work both independently, but collaboratively and in a complex team environment.
• Experience in automated hospital drug distribution systems, computer generated MARS, patient related information systems.
• Demonstrated skills using word processing, database applications such as Microsoft Office Suite (Access, Word, Excel and Powerpoint).
• Self‑motivated, independent worker with strong communication, interpersonal, organizational and team‑building skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Patient and Family Centred Care.
• Demonstrated enthusiasm for patient safety and medication safety.
• Demonstrated interest in professional development and lifelong learning.
• Competencies in other languages an asset.