Clinical Pharmacy Manager

The Clinical Pharmacy Manager

This role serves as a clinical and operational leader responsible for advancing medication management services, medication access programs, quality improvement initiatives, and population health strategies across the health center. This position provides direct supervision and oversight of pharmacy technicians supporting medication prior authorization workflows while ensuring efficient, patient-centered processes that improve medication access and treatment outcomes.

In addition to management responsibilities, the Clinical Pharmacist Manager provides direct patient care under approved Collaborative Practice Agreements (CPAs), managing patients with chronic disease states such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, asthma, COPD, and other conditions through comprehensive medication management, medication optimization, patient education, and follow-up care. The pharmacist collaborates closely with primary care providers and interdisciplinary care teams to improve clinical outcomes and close gaps in care.

The Clinical Pharmacist Manager serves as a key leader in Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) initiatives, population health management, and organizational quality improvement efforts. This role supports value-based care objectives by leveraging data-driven interventions, leading pharmacy-related quality initiatives, improving performance on clinical quality measures, and developing strategies to enhance patient outcomes across the health center. The position partners with clinical, operational, and quality leadership to ensure pharmacy services align with organizational goals, regulatory requirements, and best practices in ambulatory care.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The pharmacist is responsible for providing a full range of pharmaceutical service functions including, but not limited to:

• Clinical:
  • Select appropriate drug therapy based upon the pharmaceutical principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.
  • Complete patient-specific monitoring for efficacy, adverse effects, and clinical outcomes
  • Communicate relevant findings and/or recommendations to other health care providers verbally and in writing.
  • Provide medication and device counseling to patients and caregivers.
  • Complete medical history and medication reconciliations.
  • Clinical cases vary, but do have an emphasis on cardiometabolic, endocrine, prenatal, respiratory and psychiatric care.
  • Appropriately assist in deprescribing for medically complex patients with extensive polypharmacy.
  • Formulate necessary protocols for clinical and support staff.
  • Manage continuous glucose monitor initiative.
  • May support efforts in in-house pharmacy operations, as needed.
• Education:
  • Provide concise, applicable, comprehensive, and timely responses to requests for drug information.
  • Educate health care professionals, students, residents, patients, and the public regarding rational drug therapy.
  • Maintain high level of knowledge of pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics in practice.
  • Provide regular updates on guidelines and pharmacotherapeutics in specific areas of relevance.
• Value-Based Care:
  • Contribute to quality improvement efforts and develop new initiatives, policies, and procedures.
  • Complete quality metrics outcomes for population health.
  • Complete Chronic Care Management consults and work under collaborative practice agreements.
  • Perform Medicare Annual Wellness Visits and Transition of Care appointments which will include, but not limited to, medication reconciliation, laboratory reviews, medication appropriateness, immunizations required, preventative health screenings required, and address any questions that the patient may have about their care.
  • Support efforts related to population health and Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) as assigned by PCMH and Quality Initiatives.
• Administrative:
  • Establish and implement programs that help ensure cost-effective drug therapy and successful patient outcomes.
  • Participate in select committees to contribute to the clinical operations of Neighborhood Health.
  • Actively participates in the 340B drug pricing program under direction of the Senior Director of Pharmacy.
  • Supervisory Responsibilities:
  • Ensure the pharmacy technicians or equivalent employees working on clinical pharmacy initiatives (medication prior authorization and population health initiatives) is staffed with qualified, competent employees:

• • • • Interview prospective employees and make recommendations for hire.
      • Provide all new hires with proper training and orientation to assigned department.
      • Evaluate staff performance and recommend merit increases, promotions, and disciplinary actions.

• Ensure employees for clinical pharmacy services are functioning well as a team:
  • • Communicate departmental goals and set “expectations of performance” for each team member.
    • Identify, analyze, and facilitate resolution of any issues which are a barrier to the team achieving its goals.
    • Play a vital role in the success of NHC employee communication by keeping both staff and administration informed of any changes, ideas, concerns, etc.
    • Analyze the resources (staffing, equipment, technology, etc.) available to the department and when appropriate, recommend changes to improve efficiency.
• Prepare staff timecards for payroll processing. Monitor staff attendance, tardiness, and overtime trends.
• Perform supervisory duties in accordance with the Managers Standards of Conduct and NHC Mission Statement.

REQUIRED SKILLS / ABILITIES

• Clinical—demonstrates a working knowledge of medical theory and practice to evaluate and provide patient care; skill in taking medical history to assess medical condition and interpret findings; maintains knowledge of, and acts in accordance with, current NHC policies and procedures.
• Problem solving – identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner and gathers and analyzes information skillfully.
• Interpersonal skills - maintains confidentiality, remains open to others’ ideas and exhibits willingness to try new things; maintains friendly and supportive relationships with coworkers; talks through problems to keep channels of communication open and maintain a high level of trust; realizes the importance of, and practices, good customer service; and able to communicate effectively and build collaborative, supportive relationships with people of varying cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, languages, and educational levels.
• Oral communication - speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations, demonstrates group presentation skills.
• Written communication - edits work for spelling and grammar, presents numerical data effectively and is able to read and interpret written information.
• Planning/organizing - prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently.
• Quality Control – understands the importance of compliance standards and pays close attention to accuracy and detail when performing duties; demonstrates a working knowledge of how grant requirements and federal/state laws impact the day-to-day operations of NHCI’s Medical and Pharmacy Department.
• Adaptability – adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and is flexible to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events.
• Dependability – consistently at work and on time, follows instructions, responds to management direction and solicits feedback to improve performance.
• Safety and security – actively promotes and personally observes safety and security procedures and uses equipment and materials properly.
• Information Technology/Medical Equipment – proficient in the use of computers and other medical equipment/instruments to administer patient care and accurately retrieve/record patient data.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education / Training

• Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an accredited School/College of Pharmacy.
  • Training: Post-graduate year one (PGY1) residency with experience in ambulatory care or rural health or equivalent training.
  • Post-graduate year two (PGY2) residency in ambulatory care, preferred but not required.
• Licensure: current in-good-standing or eligibility for IN pharmacist license.

Experience

• Required: post-graduate year one residency with experience in ambulatory care or rural health or equivalent training and experience.
• Preferred: post-graduate year two residency in ambulatory care.
• 340B experience preferred but not required.

Licensure/Certification

Immunization certification.

Current in-good-standing or eligibility for IN pharmacist license.

Physical Requirements

Prolonged standing and walking, some stooping, bending, and stretching. Requires eye-hand coordination sufficient to operate computer keyboard. Requires ability to lift and carry items weighing up to 50 lbs. Requires ability to handle and assist patients. Requires corrected vision and hearing to normal range to record, prepare, and communicate appropriate reports. Requires ability to work under stressful conditions. Requires exposure to communicable diseases and bodily fluids.

Work Environment

Normal pharmacy environment. Work may include irregular hours, including evenings. Involves frequent contact with other staff, physicians’ offices, patients, and the public. Contact may involve dealing with sick, angry, or upset people. Frequent exposure to communicable diseases, toxic substances, medicinal preparations, and other conditions common to a clinic environment. OSHA Category I – Tasks involve contact with blood or body substances.