Clinical Staff Pharmacist - Correctional Health Services

Physician Affiliate Group of New York, P.C. (PAGNY) for The Division of Correctional Health Services (CHS) of New York City Health + Hospitals (H+H) is responsible for the delivery of medical care, mental health care, and discharge planning in the jail system. Approximately 25% of new admissions per year to the NYC jail system will receive care on the mental health service.

This service strives to provide safe, holistic and evidence-based therapeutic interventions for the diverse range of mental health issues that face the population, from serious mental illness to the natural struggles that accompany incarceration. The service provides some of the most comprehensive and unique treatment modalities in the country, including specialty housing units for individuals with serious mental illness, a 24-hour on-call psychiatric service, robust creative arts programming, a strong DBT training program, clinics in each of the facilities, substance use treatment, integrated re- entry services, and relationships with multiple training institutions throughout the city.

• Assistant Director of Pharmacy

The Clinical Staff Pharmacist is professionally responsible for the overall administrative, clinical and drug distribution activities of a satellite pharmacy. S/he performs related functions to assure the safety and quality of drug therapy which includes adherence with all federal, state and Correctional Health Services regulations and policies.

• Ensures proper functioning of the pharmacy as it relates as it relates to the assignment of duties, monitoring activities and the checking and approval of all functions performed by graduate pharmacists, technicians and assistants.
• Enters drug orders and/or utilizes CPOE to enter drug orders. Retrieves data from the computerized pharmacy profile system.
• Prepares, checks and dispenses all medication using accepted standards of pharmacy practice and departmental policies for unit dose, carry, out-patient and nursery distribution systems. Checks all work done by the pharmacy technician prior to dispensing. All carry medication bags are initialed by the approving pharmacist.
• Reviews and interprets all drug orders with regard to the patient profile, the formulary system, dosages, dosage schedules, routes of administration, rationale of therapy, incompatibilities, therapeutic duplications and any other ramifications in drug therapy prior to dispensing.
• Monitors and follows-up on patient drug therapy including compliance. Consults and follows-up on any problems/questions including non-formulary drug orders, adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, side effects, incompatibilities, etc. with the medical team.
• Reviews and compares nursing DOT books with pharmacy records on at least a weekly basis. Reviews and compares nursing insulin books with pharmacy records on a weekly basis.
• When pharmacy technician notifies pharmacist that a patient has missed methadone, notifies SMD or designee so that patient can be evaluated.
• Provides routine drug information to the healthcare team.
• Monitors the quality of patient care through quality assurance/improvement mechanisms (chart reviews, medication use audits, etc.) Participates in clinic quality assurance projects as requested.
• Reviews patient electronic record when needed to ascertain physician rationale in ordering or discontinuing a medication.
• Checks Ascend patient transfer report and uses the report to fill patient cassettes or move them as needed. Checks email each day for daily turn around and patients readmitted after discharge reports to assure continuity of care. If patient was on methadone or DOT medications, contacts previous building to obtain needed medication…