MEDICATION SAFETY OFFICER (MSO), PHARMACY/QUALITY - LifeBridge Health

POSITION SUMMARY: The Medication Safety Officer (MSO) is responsible for assisting the VP Quality and Pharmacy leadership to improve the safety of medication management for patients throughout the LifeBridge Health system. Undertakes activities to identify, evaluate, and reduce the likelihood of human injury and the risk of loss to the organization; this will be accomplished through education, identification and monitoring of established medication safety activities. Essential Functions:Regulatory Compliance: Ensures compliance with statewide, national, CMS and TJC standards and regulations.

• Promotes and ensures compliance with TJC, CMS, and National Patient Safety goals and regulations pertaining to safe medication practices.
• Conducts recurring and ad hoc audits and/or special projects to assess for medication safety compliance, concerns and/or potential risk issues.
• Maintains current knowledge of all relevant regulatory, accrediting compliance requirements and disseminates pertinent information to the respective leadership and staff.
• Works in conjunction with others to develop policies and procedures related to Medication Safety and is a resource for the development of medication safety policies.
• Responsible for oversight of all activities specific to compliance with National Patient Safety Goals.

Medication Safety: Develops and enhances the system-wide culture of receptivity to medication safety.

• Serves on patient care and medication safety related committees as a member or ex officio.
• Coordinates in conjunction with medical staff and hospital leadership the quality and medication safety initiatives/priorities systemwide. Maintains current knowledge base of medication patient safety. Integrates medication use processes, pharmacy workflow, patient medication safety activities, regulatory standards.
• Evaluates and monitors therapeutic medication utilization procedures.
• Utilizes in-depth knowledge of patient/healthcare information systems to lead quality improvement processes.
• Applies legal requirements and accreditation standards including TJC (The Joint Commission), Title XXII, DHS, DEA, FDA and USP.
• Takes appropriate actions in a complex and dynamic environment and in emergent situations.

Performance Improvement: Actively participates in the overall improvement of organizational performance.

• Implements and maintains a system for identifying, collecting, analyzing and reporting of medication safety related performance data. Reviews, tracks, and evaluates services that are affected by quality/medical safety/regulatory issues, identifies barriers, makes recommendations for improvement, and monitors services to ensure that safety/regulatory recommendations are implemented and the desired results are obtained.
• Utilizes proven statistical methods and techniques to facilitate performance improve and medication safety activities.
• Reviews occurrence reports, collects and summarizes performance and risk management data routinely, identifies trends and opportunities for improvements, makes recommendations for actions and develops action plans in collaboration with the healthcare team.
• Prepares and presents clinical outcome and performance data on a routine basis. Make recommendations for performance improvement activities related to medication safety in efforts to improve safety of patients, visitors and employees.
• Reviews and investigates all medication events reported through reporting sources, including near misses.
• Collects and summarizes medication safety performance data, identifies trends and opportunities for improvements, makes recommendations for actions, and develops action plans in collaboration with the healthcare team.
• Reports medication harm events to risk management and participates in RCAs specific to medication events.
• Develops appropriate medication safety quality measures and benchmarks for reporting regularly to medical staff committees, nursing quality committees, unit- specific forums, and the Boards of Directors.

Educate: Provides education to staff and physicians.

• Provides medication safety orientation and continuing educational programs for providers, management, and staff to enhance awareness of their role in medication safety, risk reduction, event reporting and regulatory issues.
• Participates in education of staff on PI, risk management and medication safety activities/issues.
• Facilitates medication safety activities and acts as a resource person on related strategies.
• Serves as a liaison among clinical departments and advises the staff and physicians.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:

• Seasoned professional knowledge; equivalent to a Master's degree; knowledge in more than one discipline.
• Graduate from a college of Pharmacy accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education is required.
• PharmD and Post Graduate Residency preferred.
• 5-7 years of experience.
• Current Maryland Pharmacy license.

PI254494855