Medication Safety Officer Jobs

The Department of Pharmaceutical Care at University of Iowa Health Care is seeking a Medication Safety Officer to join our team. The Medication Safety Officer provides oversight of the medication safety program at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. In addition, the Medication Safety Officer will provide administrative oversight and leadership for the UI Drug Information Center and Medication Use Evaluation program and be a member of the Department's senior leadership team. This position will work with pharmacy leadership, nursing, medical, and information systems to help improve the medication use process through collaboration, communication, and on-going process improvement initiatives. The Medication Safety Officer will serve as a member of the Pharmacy and UI Quality Leadership Teams. This position is responsible for supporting development of new programs, performance improvement, and other management activities in collaboration with other departments.
Responsibilities Include
Medication Safety Leadership and Expertise

• Develop the vision for an ideal safe medication use system for the organization.
• Coordinate and Chair monthly Medication Safety Committee and Medication Infusion Task Force meetings.
• Coordinate a consistent and timely approach to medication-related event review and follow-up.
• Contribute the medication safety perspective for technology initiatives.
• Provide high-level information about the usage of certain medications to patients and health-care providers.
• Serve as an authoritative resource on medication safety for the organization.
• Develop, review, and implement policies for the safe and effective delivery of medications and associated clinical services.
• Oversee the planning, creation, review, and refinement of a medication safety plan.
• Actively participate on top level quality and safety committees.

Operations

• Participate in the planning, design, and implementation of the organization's medication-use technology and automation systems.
• Oversee processes to collect information on the organization's medication errors and system failures to ensure that they are captured and barriers to reporting are addressed.

Education

• In conjunction with area managers/directors, provide and/or coordinate educational activities for pharmacy and other health-system staff regarding medication safety.
• Serve as an active leader in the didactic and experiential education of pharmacy residents and student pharmacists.

Health Care System Improvement

• Collaborate with other hospital departments/providers to evaluate, develop, and implement safe and efficient patient services.
• Participate in the review of new medications, including usage, cost/benefit analysis, outcomes and safety.
• Ensure professional quality control standards are maintained through control of the medication use process.

Compliance and Regulatory Management

• Describe key aspects of pending regulations and legislation that may impact the department or the organization as a whole.
• Ensure that staff comply with federal, state laws as well as regulatory agencies regarding applicable standards pertaining to the practice of pharmacy.
• Explain costs and operational aspects of monitoring and adherence to legal requirements.
• Interpret federal, state, or local law to implement programs and monitor compliance regarding healthcare regulations.

Medication Use Evaluation (MUE)

• Participates in the oversight of systems to provide medication information to UIHC-wide stakeholders such as the Pharmacy and Therapeutic Subcommittee and requestors of the UI Drug Information Service.
• Participates in collecting and evaluating data to identify opportunities for improvement in the medication use system.
• Assists in MUE planning, e.g. identifying aspects of medications to evaluate and monitor.
• Shares data/collected results with other members of the health-system and implements interventions to further improve medication safety.

Human Resource Management

• Develop, implement, and monitor performance improvement plans when indicated.
• Hire, develop, and manage the performance of pharmacy staff.
• Provide professional, developmental, and technical guidance and support to staff including pharmacists, technician managers, and technicians.
• Assess employee skills and aptitude; provide development and career advancement opportunities when appropriate.

Financial Management

• Develop and implement budgetary programs to decrease medication expenses and improve inventory management.
• Monitor and address budget issues, including personnel expenses.

For a full job description, please send an e-mail to the contact listed below.
Education Requirements

• Current license or eligibility to be licensed as Pharmacist by Iowa Board of Pharmacy.
• Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Experience Requirements

• Job-related experience with and/or commitment to service excellence is required.
• Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1/PGY2 Health-System Administration Residency plus five (5) years' experience in a complex health-system pharmacy environment or minimum of ten (10) years' experience in a complex health-system pharmacy environment. Alternative residency training will be evaluated as acceptable alternatives based upon experiences.
• Job-related experience with and/ or commitment to diversity in the work environment is required.
• Ability and willingness to act as preceptor for student pharmacists and pharmacy residents.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical skills and an understanding of statistics, population data, and the concepts of risk and prioritization.

Desired Qualifications

• A Master of Science in Pharmacy or healthcare/management related advanced degree such as an MHA, MPH or MBA is desirable.
• Job-related experience in the medication safety is desirable.
• Experience with automation/technology, human resources management, project management and Epic electronic health record is highly desirable.

Position And Application Details
In order to be considered for an interview, applicants must upload the following documents and mark them as a "Relevant File" to the submission:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Job openings are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days and may be removed from posting and filled any time after the original posting period has ended.
Successful candidates will be subject to a criminal background check and education/credential verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.
For additional questions, please contact Jenna Lueth, HR Director, at [email protected] or 319-356-1755.
Additional Information

• Schedule: Full-time
• Classification Title: Director, Clinical Services
• Appointment Type: Professional and Scientific

Compensation

• Starting Salary Maximum: $230,870
• Pay Level: 8A
• Starting Salary Minimum: $106,650

Contact Information

• Organization: Healthcare
• Contact Name: Jenna Lueth
• Contact Email: [email protected]

The University of Iowa is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment free from discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preferences.