Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist

Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist

0.6 - 0.8 FTE, 48 - 64 hours per pay period

Hours scheduled between 7 am and 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday

Weekends: Occasional

Holidays: No

On-call Rotation: No

Position Overview:

The Primary Care Clinical Pharmacist provides direct patient care and clinical support to optimize safe, effective, and cost-efficient medication use within the Primary Care setting. This role enhances provider capacity, improves patient outcomes, and supports organizational goals related to chronic disease management, patient education, and medication stewardship. Responsibilities include comprehensive medication management, disease-specific interventions, medication education, and navigating insurance or cost-related barriers to ensure patients receive appropriate therapy. This position improves workflow efficiency for providers, reduces medication-related complications, enhances patient understanding and engagement, and directly supports quality and safety initiatives within Primary Care.

Additionally, this pharmacist completes required components of MTM and oversees Winona Health's MTM program.

There is the occasional requirement of serving as a staff pharmacist in the Winona Clinic Pharmacy.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Perform comprehensive medication reconciliation and review

• Complete detailed medication regimen reviews for patients with complex regimens, low medication literacy, or multiple external specialists to assess appropriateness of all medications, identify barriers to adherence, optimize medication therapy, and to improve clinical outcomes.
• Reviews may be conducted via phone or in person, often encouraging patients to bring all medication bottles for verification and accuracy. Drug-related problems are identified and resolved or the appropriate provider is contacted with recommendations.

Evaluate drug interactions and medication‑related problems

• Assess potential drug-drug and drug-disease interactions-especially during medication changes or suspected adverse effects.
• Communicate findings and recommendations directly with providers.

Identify medications contributing to symptoms or abnormal labs

• Conduct targeted reviews to determine whether medications could be causing or worsening clinical issues (e.g., hyponatremia, dizziness, fatigue), and recommend safer alternatives when appropriate.

Provide diabetes management support

• Manage GLP‑1 receptor agonist therapy; monitor patient response, manage side effects, and provide monthly check‑ins during titration phases until a stable and effective dose is achieved.
• Assist with insulin dose adjustments, review and interpret continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) reports, and support providers in achieving glycemic targets in alignment with current guidelines.

Deliver new medication education and device training

• Educate patients on safe and effective use of new therapies. Utilize demo devices for hands‑on teaching. Offer additional educational presentations upon request to providers or nursing staff.

Address insurance formulary barriers

• Assist providers and patients by identifying covered alternatives, navigating prior authorization requirements, and ensuring that prescribed therapies align with payer criteria.

Support patients with medication affordability and access

• Assist with managing medication costs through cost-effective interventions which may include, but are not limited to, formulary or therapeutic interchanges, pill splitting opportunities, combination products and assessing unnecessary and/or duplicate medication therapies.
• Help identify manufacturer coupons, patient assistance programs, and cost‑saving strategies to reduce financial barriers and improve adherence. Aid in apply to patient assistance programs when needed.

Culture follow up

• Monitor culture results to ensure adequate treatment when clinically indicated.

Anticoagulation consulting

• Assist nursing staff with warfarin management per protocol and clinical judgment. Provide recommendations on peri-operative management of anticoagulation.

Collaborative Practice Agreement

• Operate within signed CPA to implement therapeutic substitutions, formulary substitutions, and order supplies with direct provider order.

Provide individualized vaccine recommendations

• Offer evidence‑based guidance on recommended vaccines, identify gaps in immunization status, and assist providers and patients in making informed decisions about preventive care.

Professional communication

• Provide written and verbal communication to discuss/document clinical recommendations/interventions to prescribers and interdisciplinary care teams.
• Attend Primary Care Provider meetings every other month to provide pharmacy-related updates. Utilize patient-friendly language in communication with patients.

Staff in the Winona Clinic Pharmacy

• Occasional pharmacist shifts may be required for coverage in the Winona Clinic Pharmacy.

Preform MTM services

• Prepare, complete, document and bill for MTM services through Outcomes, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Health Partners and other platforms.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

No direct reports

Skills and Experience:

Required:

• Licensed pharmacist in good standing in the state of Minnesota
• Knowledge of chronic disease states associated with adult and elderly patients along with corresponding appropriate prescribing practices.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Core Elements of MTM services 1) Medication Therapy Review Comprehensive and Targeted, 2) Personal Medication List (PML), 3) Medication-Related Action Plan (MAP), 4) Interventions and Referrals, and 5) Documentation of Services and Follow-Up
• Demonstrate empathy with patients and family members in tone, language, questions, and demonstrate patience, caring, sensitivity, empathy, and cultural competency throughout job responsibilities
• Able to probe and question patients or health care providers to extract information to understand concerns and needs
• Intermediate Computer Skills: Word, Excel, Outlook, Patient Information Database (Oracle,PioneerRx )

Preferred:

• MTM Training Certificate from an accredited program
• 2 years of experience in delivering MTM services directly to patients
• 3 - 5 years of experience in health system pharmacy
• 3 - 5 years of experience in outpatient/retail pharmacy
• Board Certified in MTM or geriatric pharmacy

Work Environment:

Will be working primarily in an office or retail pharmacy setting, interacting with patients via phone and in person. Consulting frequently with physicians, nurses and other clinical professionals to make recommendations. The work environment is generally fast-paced with a medium stress level requiring multi-tasking and interruptions. The work conditions are clean in a controlled room temperature environment.

Required Work Schedule:

Primarily day shift, Monday - Friday. Must be flexible to staff evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Summary of Benefits at Winona Health:

At Winona Health, we are dedicated to offering a comprehensive and affordable benefits package for our employees and their families. While benefits may vary based on employment classification and job status, the following key benefits are available:

Health Insurance: Options for medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as mental health support and wellness incentives

Income Protection: Short and long-term disability, plus additional benefits like accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, legal assistance, and identity protection plans

Retirement Planning: Access to a 403(b) retirement plan with employer contributions once eligibility requirements are met

Work/Life Balance: Flexible scheduling, paid time off, and earned sick time to support personal well-being

Education & Development: Paid training, tuition reimbursement, scholarships, and sponsored seminars to foster both personal and professional growth

Employee Discounts: Special offers with local businesses, including the YMCA and cell phone providers

For more details or specific information, visit our website or contact Human Resources

Internal Applicant Policy:

It is the policy of Winona Health to work with employees in an equitable fashion regarding promotions, transfers, and position reclassifications.

Any employee wishing to apply for another available position at Winona Health must submit an application for consideration through the internal application portal. Employees requesting to change positions should have successfully completed at least six (6) months in their current position. Employees currently in the formal disciplinary process may be required to meet with the Director of Human Resources to determine eligibility to request transfer. The employee's past performance, experience, training and qualifications will be considered in transfer/hiring decisions. Consideration for transfer or promotion is not a guarantee of transfer or promotion. Employees may be given a chance to interview for a position when they meet the minimum position qualifications.

Disclaimer:

Winona Health is an equal opportunity employer. Winona Health does not refuse to hire, discharge, or discriminate against a person with respect to tenure, compensation, terms, upgrading, conditions, facilities, or privileges of employment because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, membership in a local discrimination commission, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other prohibited basis of discrimination under applicable local, state, or federal law. Winona Health does not tolerate retaliation against any employee, patient/resident, physician, or other individuals pursuing concerns regarding Civil Rights issues. Winona Health adheres to ALL pertinent governmental policies and legislation including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, as amended, and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.