Clinical Practice Leader, Pharmacy Services

Humber River Health Lighting New Ways In Healthcare.

Since opening our doors in 2015 as North America’s first fully digital hospital we remain unwavering in our belief that we can change the hospital where we work, the community where we live, and the world of healthcare beyond our borders. Serving a community of 850,000 residents in North West Toronto, Equity Inclusivity and active participation in the North West Toronto Ontario Health Team are key initiatives important to our Team. At Humber River Health, we use a custom combination of technology and clinical expertise to rebuild elements of care. We make technology work for staff and physicians; giving them more time to spend with patients, to eliminate inefficiencies, and to reduce the chance of errors. Humber River Hospital is formally affiliated with both the University of Toronto and Queen’s University and committed to becoming a community academic hospital. Clinical Excellence, Optimizing Care through Technology and Community Connection frame our Research Strategy.

  At Humber River Health, we’re not hoping for a renaissance, we are making it happen. As part of our dynamic team, you can lead the way, as we continue our journey towards high reliability care!  

We currently have an exciting opportunity for a Clinical Practice Leader, Pharmacy Service to join our  Pharmacy Services team.

Reporting to the Director, Pharmacy Service, the Clinical Practice Leader will supervise and coordinate clinical activities of pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care as well as provide oversight of clinical pharmacy practice programs, medication use systems and quality initiatives to detect, mitigate and prevent medication adverse events and work to ensure medication use is aligned with evidence-based best practice and regulatory standards. The successful candidate will be results oriented, highly motivated, self-directed and an innovative professional who values teamwork and consistently demonstrates a visionary, creative and collaborative supervisory style. This position is responsible for the development and ongoing maintenance of practice standards and procedures for clinical pharmacists within Humber River Health.

The successful applicant will be developing, planning, organizing and evaluating clinical programs, quality assurance activities, administrative support, teaching, and research activities, while overseeing the provision of pharmaceutical care relating to the pharmacotherapy of patients and act as a resource in addition to providing consultation services as needed.

Responsibilities:

Champion Best Practice

• Enhance the delivery of the clinical pharmacy services through the development of departmental and individual clinical practice, development of the clinical abilities of the staff, and education of the pharmacy students/residents overseeing all clinical
• Work with clinical pharmacists to coordinate patient care activities and oversees all clinical activities of the department for all staff pharmacists.
• Proactively and collaboratively promotes cost-effective, high-quality care through the development and implementation of clinical initiatives.
• Develops policies, protocols and guidelines that support the creation and maintenance of the clinical pharmacy program, ensuring compliance with the Ontario College of Pharmacists, Accreditation Canada and regulatory standards.
• Monitor and evaluate staff and program compliance with professional best practices and standards referring complex issues to the Management Team; conducts competency assessments for pharmacists
• Oversees pharmacy practice programs, medication use systems, and quality initiatives to detect, mitigate, and prevent medication adverse events working to ensure medication use is aligned with evidence-based best practices and regulatory standards
• Identify gaps in clinical pharmacy practices, competencies, and service quality; develop educational strategies, plans, and content (e.g., policies, processes, technologies) in consultation with unit leadership team and clinical staff; and evaluate post-training outcomes
• Provides support to the Medication Safety Committee and other multidisciplinary committee meetings.
• Participates in departmental and hospital programs directed at improving patient care standards including pharmaceutical care services
• Advocate/facilitate use of best practices for clinical pharmacists; adjust practice changes as they occur to bring staff to new standard
• Develop reports of staff disciplinary actions for submission to regulatory health professional colleges and professional associations in collaboration with Manager and Director
• Coordinates pharmacy department seminars/continuing education courses
• Assists the Pharmacy Department Managers and Director in setting departmental goals and implementing projects that advance clinical and distributive pharmacy services
• Attend and actively participate in departmental and team meetings.

Coach/Mentor Pharmacist Staff

• Participate in site specific and departmental staff development by designing, evaluating and providing in-services and continuing education programs and by serving as a preceptor and role model.
• Coach/mentor clinical pharmacist staff; train new staff during orientation and monitor against best practice standards; recommend disciplinary actions for staff noncompliance with professional and operational requirements and standards to Manager(s)/Director and monitor outcomes
• Participates in performance improvement activities with a focus on medication safety and clinical work process improvement. Documents investigative follow-up on reported medication events and provides feedback to employees directly involved in medication events/errors.
• Lead development of the clinical abilities of the staff, and education/mentorship of the pharmacy students and pharmacy residency.

Research and Implement Practice Improvemen

• Identify and implement quality improvement programs and continuous quality assurance initiatives including digital competency to advance the medication use systems and promote optimal patient outcomes.
• Participate on professional standards committee and consultation
• Assess quality of care from patients and the pharmacy team; develop, implement, and monitor performance benchmarks; compare and analyze data against other facility practices
• Identify research or demonstration grant or publication opportunities for clinical pharmacy. Prepare the applications and lead or participate in the research or demonstration project as required.
• Coach/mentor clinical staff in clinical best practices without direct supervisory responsibility
• Other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned.

Requirements:

• Entry level Doctor of Pharmacy degree from a recognized school of Pharmacy or equivalent education.
• Minimum 5 years of Pharmacist experience in a hospital setting required 
• Experience in a direct patient care environment (Hospital Pharmacy) within the previous 5 years
• Registration in good standing with the Ontario College of Pharmacists – Part A (Pharmacists providing direct patient care
• Proven leadership abilities and an understanding of concepts of adult learning
• Demonstrated abilities in research and/or scholarly activity
• Ability to prioritize workload
• Familiarity with Adult Education to design, deliver and evaluate educational programs
• Demonstration of excellent communication, critical thinking, decision making, detail orientation and problem solving skills within a fast paced, complex and continually changing environment
• Demonstrated commitment to professional practice standards and quality standards
• Excellent team building, interpersonal, diplomacy and facilitation skills
• Demonstrated strong commitment to development of Pharmacy professionals in an acute care environment using coaching, diplomacy and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrated project management skills
• Excellent presentation and computer skills
• Excellent organizational and time management abilities
• Preferred Meditech, SwissLog, or Omnicell experience
• Excellent attendance and discipline free record required.

Why choose Humber River Health?

At Humber River Health, our staff, physicians, and volunteers are lighting new ways in healthcare. We are proud to be recognized as a part of Greater Toronto’s Top Employers by Mediacorp Canada Inc. We support employees by providing evidence-based leadership and cultivating a culture that consistently wows as a Huron Consulting hospital. We are a member of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN) and are deeply involved in research and academic collaboration. We are dedicated to high-quality patient care and demonstrate our values of compassion, professionalism, and respect.

Attracting and retaining a workforce that represents the diverse communities surrounding Humber River Health, is a priority. We encourage applicants from all equity-deserving groups, including but not limited to, individuals who identity as Indigenous, racialized, seniors, persons living with disabilities, women, and those who identify as 2SLGBTQ.

Applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, disability, medical condition, or any protected category prohibited by the Ontario Human Rights Code and Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process as well as during employment at Humber River Health. Please direct any accommodation requests to our recruitment team.

  Please be advised that in order to be eligible for employment at Humber River Health, all new hires must have received the full series of a COVID-19 vaccine or combination of COVID-19 vaccines approved by Health Canada (e.g., two doses of a two-dose vaccine series, or one dose of a single-dose vaccine series); AND have received the final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to the hired employee’s first date of employment. Medical exemptions or any other kind of requested exemption based upon the Hospital’s obligations pursuant to the Ontario Human Rights Code will be considered on a case-by-case basis.