Pharmacist - Informatics | Bethesda, Maryland | Contract

Pharmacist - Informatics | Bethesda, Maryland | Contract

Quick Look

• Weekly Gross Pay: Not specified
• Shift: 8 Hours, Day
• Start Date: 09/15/2026
• Duration: 52 weeks
• Number of Openings: Not specified
• Facility Type: Research

We are seeking a skilled Pharmacist specializing in Informatics to join our team at a leading research facility in Bethesda, Maryland. This contract position offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to innovative pharmacy practices and informatics systems.

MAJOR DUTIES

The incumbent serves as a subject matter expert and consultant for the Pharmacy leadership group and the Department of Clinical Research Informatics (DCRI). He/she provides authoritative advice in the translation of scientific protocols, patient privacy, medication safety, regulatory and administrative requirements of the Pharmacy. The incumbent is primarily responsible for supporting the Sunrise Medication Manager (SMM) Pharmacy Information (or equivalent) System (PIS), Pharmacy software interfaces and connectivity with pharmacy robotics and other automation systems such as unit-based automated dispensing cabinets and point-of-care bedside medication scanning technologies, as well as CC business systems and NIH big data collaboration initiatives (BTRIS).

This support includes adding and deleting items from the medication databases in the various systems, ensuring that cost information is updated in a timely fashion, modifying individual medication items or classes of items to adjust to new business practices in the Pharmacy or CC wide initiatives. The incumbent provides consultative support for medication inventory catalog maintenance; pharmacy informatics operations support; software customization; upgrade planning, implementation and testing; database management and mining; training systems; in cooperation with DCRI, and other system stakeholders, development, testing, maintenance and troubleshooting of interfaces between PIS software and CPOE, laboratory and other clinical information systems, and various pharmacy automation technologies.

The incumbent provides training for Departmental professional and technical staff who are engaged in the build, maintenance, testing and use of these systems. The incumbent meets on a regular basis with appropriate DCRI and Pharmacy staff as part of the Medication Review Board, and with DCRI and other ancillary system stakeholders as part of the System Solutions Partners group. The incumbent is an integral part of any project planning effort for new systems.

Technical responsibilities include:

• Demonstrate independent action and team building abilities.
• Perform appropriate testing involving department and user participation to identify programming errors.
• Actively develop new approaches, methods or techniques in resolving technical problems with little or no guidance.
• Cope independently with new, unexpected and complex situations.
• Meet project objectives within projected time frame, meeting user expectations and satisfaction with system performance and support.
• Provide appropriate written and oral communication with department, users and outside vendors.
• Comply with department and hospital standards and procedures.
• Seek self-initiated training and development needs.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation regarding product/service evaluations; system evaluations and implementation plans.
• Contribute to the planning and development process of the PIS and Computerized Prescriber Order Entry (CPOE) teams.
• Participate in testing scenarios for custom software to ensure that software is ready and available for use when implementing system upgrades and enhancements.
• Maintain proficiency in operations and functions of Pharmacy department automated systems.
• Attend training sessions for software, programming and automation systems as requested.
• Contribute to the timely and successful resolution of operational problems identified.
• Document accuracy and timeliness of work processed via the computer/technological products.
• Respond to reported problems in a timely manner.
• Initiate functionality changes as necessary.
• Maintain and support database changes to reflect up-to-date therapies.

The incumbent works alone and with various technical and professional colleagues to devise database solutions to implement the ordering of new protocols and commercial products in the inpatient, day clinic and outpatient settings. The incumbent responds to protocol and the marketplace (e.g. shortages, new products) to make changes to adjust existing order sets. The incumbent evaluates new software, or upgrades to existing systems, to assure that it performs as indicated, then prepares demonstration scenarios to engage Departmental management and clinical staff as appropriate in the decision to utilize the functionality. The incumbent will then work with this group to ensure that the changes are integrated into the existing workflow, and that the leaders work with the appropriate staff to properly use the new functionality.

The incumbent works with the DCRI, vendors, Departmental software owners and support staff to develop, enhance, and maintain interfaces between the various clinical systems as changes to the structure of any of these systems, or the methods of communication between them, occur. The incumbent works with DCRI and the Executive Information System technical and management staff to develop and maintain fiscal data reporting for the contributions of the various Institutes to the medication expenses of the Clinical Center. The data must be continually monitored to adjust for changes in expenses for pharmaceuticals, assignment of labor category for new prescription items, and patterns of usage to assure that costs and charges are synchronized. This data comes from three sources:

• The price paid for pharmaceuticals
• Outpatient pharmacy system prescription charges
• Inpatient electronic billing files

The incumbent works with internal and external parties to ensure that the integrity of Pharmacy workstations and systems are maintained and that the security standards deemed appropriate have been installed, function as designed and do not interfere with the underlying functionality of those systems. The incumbent actively collaborates with staff and clinical researchers in the design and implementation of research protocols, collection of data, and in analysis and interpretation of results; provides solutions to complex drug administration problems. The incumbent evaluates the performance and functions of existing Pharmacy information technology and requirements relative to current and future mission requirements.

FACTORS

Factor 1 - Knowledge Required by the Position: The incumbent is required to have extensive knowledge of modern pharmacy practice, computer skills relating to computer database management, information systems and pharmacy computer systems with strong verbal and written communication skills. The incumbent must have expert knowledge of regulatory and medical legal aspects of the proper management of investigational drugs, including research methodologies, protocol design, and implementation. The incumbent must have knowledge of drug utilization review and drug surveillance methodology and strategies. The incumbent must have knowledge of managerial principles and practices to provide professional guidance, and to understand the technical needs of management personnel. The incumbent must have knowledge of the Joint Commission standards. Ability to plan, organize, and manage complex technical projects. Knowledge of Internet programming processes, scripting, and database principles.

Factor 2 - Supervisory Controls: The incumbent participates as a member of the Department of Pharmacy leadership working in conjunction with Information Systems and Clinicians (i.e. Nursing, Respiratory Therapy, Laboratory Medicine, and prescribers), sharing mutual goals and a common mission. Work is performed under the general direction of the Chief of the Pharmacy Department who outlines overall objectives and available resources. The incumbent exercises a high degree of independence and is delegated complete responsibility and authority to set their own priorities and make decisions to carry out and complete the work. The incumbent coordinates with others as appropriate to determine the methods and procedures necessary to complete assignments, developing recommendations, and implementing plans to accomplish work consistent with Pharmacy Department and Clinical Center information technology goals. Some projects are long term in nature. The supervisor reviews completed work for soundness of overall approach, effectiveness in meeting requirements or producing expected results, the feasibility of recommendations, and adherence to requirements. The supervisor does not usually review methods used.

Factor 3 - Guidelines: The employee uses guidelines and precedents that are very general regarding agency policy statements and objectives. Guidelines specific to assignments are often scarce, inapplicable or have gaps in specificity that require considerable interpretation and/or adaptation for application to issues and problems. The employee uses judgment, creativity, initiative, and resourcefulness in developing solutions to complex problems, which often requires modifying established methods to adapt, and/or refine broader guidelines to resolve specific complex and/or intricate issues and problems or treat specific issues or problems. The incumbent is a recognized domain authority on informatics and information technology systems related to pharmacy practice and uses their technical expertise to develop and interpret policies to assure a safe medication use system throughout the hospital.

Factor 4 - Complexity: The incumbent has an important role in the Pharmacy department to apply and devise strategies to use state-of-the-art information technology systems to promote safe medication use. The incumbent must stay current with new technologies to support the Pharmacy Department and Clinical Center mission. The incumbent independently performs complex work that requires different and unrelated skills. The incumbent provides leadership to solve complex problems that generally require considerable initiative and originality for their resolution. Complexity comes to the position through a variety of sources as the incumbent seeks to support both clinical and research needs of colleagues and investigators through the use of available technical tools. This position requires administrative management, scientific, technical and program evaluation skills in support of the CC Pharmacy safe medication management mission.

Factor 5 - Scope and Effect: The primary purpose of the incumbent's work is to provide leadership and direction in the planning, evaluation, and implementation for internal and external state-of-the-art, Clinical Center-wide, pharmaceutical technologies to promote safe medication use. The work involves a combination of Pharmaceutical and technological knowledge to analyze, maintain and support the various CC Pharmacy systems and interfaces, through communication and collaboration with the IT and ancillary departments to promote safe, accurate and efficient prescription dispensing and administration of medications in the Clinical Center. The incumbent's activities have a direct effect on all aspects of informatics related to medication management within the Pharmacy Department and throughout the Clinical Center. He/she must be knowledgeable of the Joint Commission's patient safety goals and medication standards as they relate to the Pharmacy informatics systems.

Factor 6 - Personal Contacts: A wide variety of internal and external contact relationships are involved in performance of the duties of this position. Internal