Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship
Primary Location: Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island
Contact: Ashlyn Norris, PharmD, BCIDP at anorris1@lifespan.org
Position Summary:
The Department of Pharmacy is seeking a pharmacist specialist whose primary role will be providing infectious disease (ID) focused pharmacotherapy services to hospitalized patients.
Position activities include:
- § Provide direct pharmaceutical care services by promoting the safe and effective use of anti-infective agents
- § Coordinate and maintain the antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) program in collaboration with the AMS physician director and affiliate-wide AMS/ID pharmacists. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- - Conduct daily AMS activities including: prospective audit of antimicrobial use, review of all positive blood culture results, respiratory viral panel results, and Accelerate Pheno® results for Gram negative rod bacteremia with real-time intervention and feedback
- - Implement AMS initiatives to promote optimal antimicrobial use and measure impact of interventions
- - Report on applicable AMS metrics, including antimicrobial utilization and identify opportunities to optimize antimicrobial use and patient care
- - Participate in anti-infective/AMS quality improvement projects in collaboration with pharmacy, infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, infection prevention, nursing, and quality
- - Assist in developing and maintaining the anti-infective formulary, anti-infective guidelines and use evaluations, infectious disease related clinical pathways, and order sets
- - Serve as an active member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Committee and Infection Prevention Committee
- - Ensure TJC, CMS and other AMS regulatory compliance
- § Round with infectious diseases consult service(s)
- § Attend Wednesday and Friday ID Conference and Micro Rounds, act as a resource to the inpatient ID providers and fellows regarding drug therapy and monitoring
- § Education-related activities include:
- - Serve as a preceptor to pharmacy residents (PGY1 and PGY-2 oncology & critical care), APPE pharmacy students, and infectious diseases physician fellows
- - Provide didactic lectures to local pharmacy, nursing, and physician assistant schools
- - Provide in-services to pharmacists, providers, nurses, and other healthcare staff on but not limited to AMS, protocols, guidelines, and department initiatives
- § Serve as a liaison between the Department of Pharmacy and Division of Infectious Diseases
- § Maintain competency in the pharmacy dispensing system through participation in practice coverage in the inpatient pharmacy. Weekend rotation is typically every 4th weekend and two holidays
- § Demonstrate ongoing professional development including meeting continuing education requirements, keeping abreast of current literature as it relates to clinical, financial and safety outcomes in the area of infectious diseases and antimicrobial stewardship
- § Contribute to pharmacy practice and medical community through research project presentations at state/national meetings and/or publication in reviewed journals. Specialist may serve as a mentor on resident research projects
Qualifications:
- § Graduate of an accredited College of Pharmacy, Doctor of Pharmacy degree
- § Licensed to practice pharmacy in the State of Rhode Island or eligible for licensure
- § Completed an ASHP-Accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency and an ASHP-Accredited PGY2 in infectious diseases or applicable fellowship or equivalent experience
- § Ability to function independently and collaboratively within a team setting. Highly motivated; effective communication, problem solving, and organizational skills required
Reporting Structure:
The infectious diseases clinical pharmacist specialist reports to the inpatient clinical pharmacy manager and collaborates closely with the Antimicrobial Stewardship Physician Director. Other key collaborators include infectious disease pharmacists, clinical pharmacist specialists, other clinical pharmacists, infectious disease physicians, microbiology and infection control departments. This individual will also interact with other various departments including but not limited to information technology, administration, physician groups, and nurses.
ID Clinical Pharmacy Team at Lifespan:
We currently have seven Clinical Pharmacist Specialists in Infectious Diseases across the Lifespan System: four Antimicrobial Stewardship/Inpatient ID pharmacists (one specialist at The Miriam Hospital, two at Rhode Island Hospital, and one at Newport Hospital) and three ID/HIV pharmacists at The Miriam Hospital ID & Immunology Clinic. The ID pharmacists work closely as a team and collaborate with one another to ensure optimal transitions of care between the inpatient and ambulatory settings. Additionally, the team works together on projects, guidelines, protocols, and implementation of system-wide initiatives. The ID pharmacists are members of the Lifespan Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee and attend Infection Control meetings regularly at their respective sites.
About Rhode Island Hospital and Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP):
A not-for profit organization, Lifespan is Rhode Island’s first healthcare system committed to providing patient-centered care. Lifespan health system has five hospitals in Rhode Island including Rhode Island Hospital, The Miriam Hospital, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Bradley Hospital, and Newport Hospital. Lifespan Hospitals utilize Epic for their electronic medical record system.
Rhode Island Hospital is an acute care hospital and the principal teaching hospital of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. At 719 beds, Rhode Island Hospital is the state’s largest and only Level 1 trauma and accredited burned centers. Rhode Island Hospital provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services including but not limited to oncology, cardiology, diabetes, emergency medicine, neurosciences, and orthopedics.
The Brown Infectious Diseases division has 34 active providers within the Lifespan system. Rhode Island Hospital includes four inpatient infectious diseases adult consult services: three general ID services (teaching and non-teaching) and one ID transplant and hematology/oncology service. The Miriam Hospital has three infectious diseases adult consult services: two general ID services (teaching and non-teaching) and an immunology/HIV service. Newport Hospital has one ID consult non-teaching service.
The Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) at Rhode Island Hospital was implemented in 2014 and encompasses a multi-disciplinary approach. The Lifespan antimicrobial stewardship committee includes representation from the Division of Infectious Disease, Pharmacy, Nursing, Infection Prevention, and Microbiology from ASPs across Lifespan hospital affiliates. Prospective audit and feedback (including blood culture review) and restricted antibiotics are core strategies for the ASP. AMS rounds are conducted daily with the ASP directors at each respective site. In addition, the ASP has a collaborative relationship with microbiology and is instrumental in implementing rapid diagnostic initiatives.
Additional Information:
Interested candidates should send an email with a letter of interest and CV to:
Contact: Ashlyn Norris, PharmD, BCIDP
Contact Title: Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, ID/AMS
Contact Address: Rhode Island Hospital
Department of Pharmacy
593 Eddy Street
Providence, RI 02903
Contact E-mail: anorris1@lifespan.org
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