About the position
The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a dedicated and experienced Pharmacist 3 for the SW Louisiana Veterans Home located in Jennings, Louisiana. This position is crucial in providing pharmaceutical care to the veterans residing in the facility, ensuring they receive the highest quality of medical, restorative, and rehabilitative services in a compassionate environment. The primary mission of the home is to serve the veteran population of Louisiana, focusing on returning them to optimal physical and mental health. As a Pharmacist 3, you will be responsible for performing advanced pharmacy tasks, dispensing medications, and collaborating with medical staff to monitor and evaluate the quality of pharmaceutical services provided to patients. In this role, you will be expected to prepare various pharmaceutical solutions, including IV piggybacks and chemotherapy solutions, and participate in patient care rounds to provide drug information. You will also have the opportunity to instruct and train pharmacy interns and other healthcare students in clinical pharmacy functions. The position requires a current Louisiana pharmacy license and at least two years of experience as a licensed pharmacist, with potential substitutions for advanced degrees or residency programs. This is a WAE/PRN appointment, offering flexibility in scheduling while fulfilling the essential duties of the pharmacy department.
Responsibilities
- Dispense drugs to wards, clinics, and clients using proper pharmacy procedures.
- Monitor and evaluate the quality and appropriateness of patient services provided by the pharmaceutical department or service, in collaboration with medical staff.
- Prepare IV piggybacks, large volume parental, chemotherapy solutions, and parental nutrition hyperalimentation solutions.
- Participate in patient care rounds to provide drug information regarding therapeutics and medical problems or questions.
- Assist in instructing and training staff pharmacists, residents, and medical and other healthcare students in therapeutics and clinical pharmacy functions.
- Participate in aspects of the hospital quality assurance program relating to drug utilization and effectiveness.
- Provide drug monitoring services, including monitoring pharmacokinetic drug levels.
- Instruct patients or appropriate nursing staff on the importance, correct use, and possible side effects of medications to be taken following discharge, in accordance with physician's instructions or written medical staff policy.
- Review patients' drug regimens for potential interactions, interferences, or incompatibilities prior to dispensing drugs, resolving irregularities with prescribing physicians, and notifying nursing service and hospital administration when appropriate.
- Collect information concerning aspects of pharmaceutical services through the pharmaceutical department/service or hospital quality assurance program.
- Assess data to identify problems in patient care and opportunities to improve care.
- Determine usage patterns for drugs according to clinical departments or individual prescribers and assist in setting drug use criteria.
- Communicate new product information to nursing service and other hospital personnel as required.
- Participate in meetings of the pharmacy and therapeutics committee and implement decisions of that committee.
Requirements
- Possession of a current Louisiana license to practice pharmacy.
- Two years of experience as a licensed pharmacist.
- A master's degree in pharmacy may substitute for one year of the required experience.
- A doctorate in pharmacy may substitute for the two years of required experience.
- Completion of an accredited pharmacy residency program may substitute for the two years of required experience.
