The Pediatric Clinical Pharmacist and Specialists will provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care across various pediatric clinical settings at Norton Children's Hospital. These roles involve opportunities working in multiple areas of the hospital and clinics, including general pediatrics, pediatric intensive care units (PICU), cardiac intensive care units (CICU), neonatal intensive care units (NICU), infectious diseases (ID), and hematology/oncology and stem cell transplant units and ambulatory care. As a clinical pharmacist or specialist, the individual will collaborate with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to optimize medication therapy, ensure patient safety, and support the hospital's overall mission to provide high quality, patient centered care to children and their families.
Key Responsibilities:
Clinical Pharmacy Services:
Review and verify medication orders for appropriateness based on patient age, weight, diagnosis, and clinical condition
Provide clinical interventions for pediatric patients, including dose adjustments, therapeutic drug monitoring, and medication selection based on evidence-based practices
Participate in multidisciplinary rounds in the PICU, CICU, NICU, Med/Surg, Hem/Onc, and other specialized units
Serve as a drug information resource for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare staff
Patient Safety and Education:
Ensure the safe and effective use of medications, including identifying, preventing, and resolving medication-related issues
Educate patients and families on medication use, side effects, and adherence
Monitor for adverse drug reactions and provide necessary follow-up
Operational Support:
Support pharmacy operations by verifying and preparing medication orders, managing medication distribution, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards
Assist in managing inventory of medications, particularly in specialized pediatric areas
Team Collaboration:
Work closely with healthcare team to ensure seamless transitions of care and optimize pharmacotherapy outcomes
Residency Precepting and Mentoring:
Support our residency programs by playing an active role in precepting and mentoring our residents
Assist with quality improvement projects and research projects
Professional Development:
Stay current with pediatric pharmacotherapy trends, guidelines, and regulations
Participate in continuing education and professional development activities
Contribute to quality improvement initiatives within the pharmacy department
Work Environment:
Pharmacists must be flexible and able to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
Shift locations will vary based on departmental need, including every 4th weekend, holidays, and evenings
Norton Children's Hospital is committed to delivering the highest standard of pediatric care, and the Pediatric Clinical Float Pharmacist plays an integral role in ensuring medication safety and efficacy for our younger patients.
Education: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an accredited institution
Licensure: Active pharmacist license in the state of Kentucky or eligible for licensure
Experience: Previous experience in pediatric pharmacy or a hospital clinical pharmacy setting, completion of a PGY1 or PGY2 in Pediatrics
Skills/Abilities: Strong understanding of pediatric pharmacotherapy, including age-specific considerations, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative healthcare environment, ability to adapt quickly to different clinical settings and manage a diverse patient population
The Norton Children’s name stands for trusted pediatric care across a spectrum of specialties and locations throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana. Comprising two hospitals, a medical center, regional outpatient centers, and primary and specialty care physician practices, Norton Children’s is a comprehensive network of highly trained pediatric specialists and support services providing care for children of all ages. As the need for specialized pediatric care has grown in our region, so has the footprint of Norton Children’s. Our medical facilities currently serve more than 215,000 patients and have over 1 million visits each year.