General Summary:

The Clinical Informatics Pharmacist (CIP) is an expert in human factors, patient safety, and in the use of technology to optimize care delivery through the planning, development, build, implementation, and maintenance of pharmacy and medication related systems under the direction of the Director of Pharmacy Services. The CIP works with multiple departments throughout the organization to coordinate, educate, implement, and promote systems that improve the efficiency, accuracy, and cost effectiveness of hospital and pharmacy operations, including the electronic medical record system (EMR). The CIP supervises the planning, development, build, testing, training, troubleshooting and ongoing maintenance of the pharmacy and medication related subsections within the EMR.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Promotes positive outcomes through the safe and effective use of medications in all patient populations through the effective use of technologies and automation to mitigate or preferably prevent error prone human failure modes.
• Coordinates with the health system’s IT department, and the Pharmacy leadership team, all pharmacy or medication strategic information systems including planning and analysis of the pharmacy information network and automation technologies.
• Responsible for design, build, and ongoing management and maintenance, working in collaboration with others, of medication records used across the organization. This oversight includes EHR medication related clinical alert / best practice systems with a goal of reducing alert fatigue, and providing clinicians with actionable data that improves patient outcomes and prevents harm.
• Acts as a resource to those within the Pharmacy department and to others across the health system providing clinical advice, and material support regarding the use of technology to optimize the medication use process, from ordering to administration.
• Responsible for recommending system-wide decisions regarding current and future pharmacy and/or medication build for the Hospital’s electronic medical record system (EMR).
• Ensures electronic drug information databases, pump libraries and interfaces are secure, up-to-date, and functional troubleshooting systems when necessary to return operations to an optimal state.
• Supports physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other clinicians by being a resource regarding the use of the pharmacy section and settings within hospital’s EMR, and the EMR in general.
• Evaluates requests for system modification and improvements, determining the feasibility, risks, and costs of implementing such changes.
• Works closely with Hospital, IT, and Pharmacy leadership, as well as the Medication Safety Committee, other Pharmacy IT staff, Quality Department, and the Accreditation Compliance staff to clarify needs, prioritize requests, and design workflow to fit electronic systems.
• The CIP will train, supervise, and direct the efforts of support personnel as needed.
• The CIP will participate in quality initiatives as needed to measure and improve the efficiency and design of the EMR to facilitate better outcomes and lower costs.
• Oversee IT purchasing and returns for Pharmacy related hardware, software and interfaces.
• Maintains IT, legal, drug information, and financial records and databases.
• Develops and maintains overall principles for safe design and use of order sets.
• Maximizes technology design to achieve the best possible outcomes:
• Communicates effectively with both internal and external personnel.
• Maintains knowledge of current systems and seeks out innovative Pharmacy IT systems.
• Participates in the functional testing for human factor related issues.
• Provides education and information on pharmaceutical care and drug therapy, including supervision and instruction of pharmacy students on clinical rotations.
• Participates in clinical data collection, and preparation and/or presentation of drug reviews, medication use evaluations, antibiograms, adverse drug reaction reports, medication event reports, and pharmacy clinical workload reports related to oncology pharmacy operations.
• Contributes to the quality and effective operation of the department.
• Participates in quality projects and on assigned committees to provide expertise regarding the use of the electronic medical record and decision support system to achieve organizational goals.
• Performs other duties as assigned. These may include but are not limited to: Maintaining a current knowledge base of department processes, protocols and procedures, pursuing self-directed learning and continuing education opportunities, and participating on committees, task forces, and work groups as determined by management.