Clinical Pharmacist

A vacancy exists for a Clinical Pharmacist based at Life Eugene Marais Hospital, reporting to the Pharmacy Manager. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading, managing, coordinating, monitoring and driving improvement in the clinical pharmacy services within the hospital.

Critical Outputs

Effective clinical pharmacy services:

• Ensure the provision of patient focused, professional clinical pharmacy services;
• Drive the implementation of available or new innovative information and tools to achieve strategic objectives and targets for clinical pharmacy in the hospital to improve patient outcomes;
• Provide support and mentoring to pharmacists to develop skills, capacity and professional competency within the pharmacy;
• Actively drive clinical pharmacy activities to reach or exceed group targets;
• Play an active role in medication safety and provide medication information to the multidisciplinary team, as well as patients;
• Provide appropriate clinical pharmacy input and support for cost of care management initiatives, value based care and projects;
• Provide input into clinical pharmacy tools and guidelines aligned to the national clinical pharmacy priorities;
• Focus on and address inappropriate utilization of pharmaceuticals.

Professional collaboration:

• Enhance cooperative and influential working relationships with doctors, microbiologist, infection control, nursing, pharmacy and other key functional stakeholders;
• Provide drug information and evidence based guidance and training to other health professionals as required;
• Collaborate with Nursing, Infection Prevention, Regional Clinical Manager and Regional Clinical Pharmacist to achieve key outputs.

Advanced antimicrobial stewardship:

• Perform daily ward rounds with a multitude of medical specialists;
• Coordination of antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, identification of problem areas and implementation of corrective actions;
• Leadership of the hospital’s clinical pharmacy team and mentoring of the team members;
• Review prescriptions and monitor patients to ensure effective and safe drug therapy and provide feedback and advice to healthcare team regarding potential problems;
• Partner with Antimicrobial Stewardship Doctor Champion to identify and address inappropriate antimicrobial usage;
• Perform pharmacokinetic calculations and interpretation when required;
• Participate in the implementation of and compliance to LHC Quality Management Systems;
• Practice of evidence-based patient care, identifying and disseminating clinical evidence to support clinical pharmacy and antimicrobial stewardship interventions ensuring cost-effective management of patient care;
• Participate in the active management of cost of sales of pharmaceuticals in line with revenue and budget;
• Usage of antibiograms to establish evidence-based guidelines for empiric antibiotic therapy;
• Performing dosage adjustments based on organ function, weight etc.;
• Utilise diagnostic stewardship to improve the outcome of patients.

Systems, communication and reporting:

• Utilise AMS and medication surveillance software system to optimize effective stewardship and clinical practice;
• Preparation for and active participation in internal stakeholder meetings, including presentation of progress and gaps;
• Provide formal monthly feedback on general pharmacy practice and AMS.

Patient medication safety:

• Participate in medication safety management to ensure that corrective actions are identified, implemented and monitored, to reduce adverse medication events;
• Elevate the performance on medication safety management and medication adverse event interventions;
• Role in development and implementation of drug administration protocols to pro-actively manage risk.

External stakeholder relationships and industry visibility:

• Contribute to research and participate in industry conferences, CPD’s, relevant societies and external stakeholder meetings.

Requirements

• Grade 12 National Senior Certificate;
• Bachelors in Pharmacy Degree;
• M Pharm or Pharm D in Clinical Pharmacy is essential;
• Relevant operational experience and application of clinical pharmacy masters in a hospital setting;
• 2-5 years’ experience in the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship and clinical pharmacy services;
• Relevant clinical knowledge and experience in the critical outputs;
• Contribution to appropriate industry conferences and journals would be an advantage;
• Current registration with the South African Pharmacy as a pharmacist;
• Understanding of pharmacy and related healthcare industry, legislation, regulation and challenges;
• Pharmaceutical product knowledge;
• Willing to work bare below elbow in clinical areas and comply with company uniform policy;
• Computer proficiency, including MS Office, MS Excel and MS PowerPoint.

Competencies

• Critical and strategic thinking;
• Problem-solving, analysis and judgement;
• Resilience, drive & energy;
• Engaging diversity & managing change;
• Excellent verbal & written communication and presentation skills;
• Influencing skills;
• Performance excellence & orientation;
• Ethical behaviour;
• Building relationships & networking;
• Customer responsiveness;
• Business insight & organisational awareness;
• Strong leadership qualities;
• Ability to motivate & develop people;
• Time management skills;
• Punctual;
• Passion for clinical pharmacy.

Email: Zaanri.Keys@lifehealthcare.co.za

Closing date: Monday, November 11, 2024

Internal applicants - Before making an application, you are requested to discuss your application with your line manager. External candidates will also be considered.

Life Healthcare is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Thank you for your interest in this opportunity. Kindly note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applicants who have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date of this advert should consider their application as unsuccessful.