NEEDED: PHARMACIST

LOCATION: 42 Patton Road Ayer, Massachusetts 01432

STATUS: 1099  

HOURS: Monday – Friday, 6:00AM – 5:00PM

SCHEDULE: 30 hours per week consisting of 10-hour days, 3 days per week, 

(240 days annually)

• RPh or PharmD Degree with a minimum of one year of experience within the past 24 months is preferred. Experience can include Residency.
• Must possess an unrestricted state licensure
• Hold current certification in one of the following: BLS, ACLS, PALS

DUTIES: Shall be responsible for, but not limited to the following:

• Responsible for the day-to-day operation of the medication delivery system and assures that the integrity of all medications is maintained and are properly stored.
• The pharmacist is the only independent practitioner who is specifically licensed and authorized to dispense medications.
• Responsible for participating in quality assurance activities regarding medications. This includes policy and medication usage and/or audits and the suggestion, authoring, or performance of Drug Utilization Evaluation studies needed to maintain quality patient care and cost-effective medication management.
• Responsible for the records and reports related to the purchase, receipt, and disposition of drugs and related supplies.
• Determines that all medications are properly packaged and labeled.
• Profiles all medication orders and assures that there are no contraindications.
• Maintains a daily inventory of all controlled substances issued.
• Dispenses pharmaceuticals in accordance with proper procedures. Dispensing is defined as providing multiple doses of medications in a properly labeled container for use over a period of time (i.e. filling a prescription). Dispensing involves reviewing for drug/drug interactions, drug/disease interactions, drug/food interactions, therapeutic duplications, overuse, under use, allergies, therapeutic appropriateness, appropriate dose, route, duration of therapy, review for adverse drug reactions, ensuring proper laboratory monitoring, review for appropriate clinical outcomes, providing the final check of the prescription to ensure that it contains the correct drug and the label contains the correct directions and patient pursuant to the prescription, and proper cautionary statements are included on the vial.
• Interpreting prescriptions and dispensing prescribed products requires accuracy in dosage and identification of therapeutic incompatibilities.
• The pharmacist is responsible for the delivery of pharmaceutical care including patient
• The Pharmacist analyzes and interprets urinary drug test for false positives in correlation with the inmates’ drug regimen.
• Expertise is needed in urinalysis assay procedures for drug testing as well as knowledge on the metabolic pathway of drugs to assist corrections in the appropriate processing of positive test results.
• Communicates with hospital and medical staff regarding safe and effective uses of medications.
• Performs kinetic calculations as necessary and makes recommendations to include, establishing and maintaining cooperative beneficial relationships with inmate patients and resolves patient complaints related to pharmacy services through an informal resolution or the administrative remedy process.
• The Pharmacist will compound or check all extemporaneous preparations as required.
• Responsible for preparing, checking, and editing physician orders for parenteral products.
• If applicable, checks all prescriptions prepared by support staff (e.g., pharmacy technicians) to ensure they are error free, and that no problem exists with drug interactions.
• Reviews pharmacy interventions with the appropriate practitioner to ensure the medical record documentation and prescription are accurate.
• Responsible for participating in quality assurance activities regarding medications and parenteral fluids, performs monthly narcotic audits, and reports all medication variances.
• Advises staff on pharmaceutical matters, such as the availability of supplies, problems involved in the preparation and administration of therapeutic agents, including proper dosages, toxicity, precautions, alternative medications, and current new drugs.
• Performs studies and/or audits at the discretion of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.
• Responsible for patient and staff education.
• The pharmacist will serve as the drug information specialist and will provide literature for medical staff as requested. In addition, the pharmacist may provide and/or direct a synopsis of the information for the requestor and be able to defend the conclusion based on the literature provided.
• Performs counseling services regarding medications to patients.
• Supplies nursing and medical staff with medication information as indicated
• Pharmacist is the gatekeeper of the BOP National Formulary to include involvement in the local non-formulary request process. It is the responsibility of the pharmacist to educate the prescribers to the medications on the National Formulary and suggest formulary alternatives when appropriate. This includes the education and orientation of contract physician specialists who recommend therapy.
• The pharmacist must maintain an up-to-date working knowledge of the BOP National Formulary.
• Document all clinical encounters using Bureau of Prisons Electronic Medical Record.
• Review all ordered tests and procedures within 24 hours of receiving results or the next
• business day.
• Administer medication as prescribed i.e., by mouth, intradermally, subcutaneously, or
• intramuscularly.
• Provide current entries for maintenance of medical records.
• Maintain patient privacy and confidentiality.
• Perform duties as required but accept only those assignments that are commensurate with
• his/her educational preparation, training, experience, and licensure laws

centered, outcomes-orientated pharmacy practice. This requires the pharmacist to work in concert with the patient and other healthcare providers to promote health; prevent disease; and assess, monitor, initiate and modify medication use to ensure that drug therapy regimens are safe and effective.