State of Maryland

A Pharmacist III is the supervisory level of work in dispensing and compounding prescribed medications, drugs and other pharmaceuticals for patient care at a State facility.  Employees in this classification supervise lower-level Registered Pharmacists and oversee the work of Pharmacy Technicians and other professional and non-professional staff.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a higher-level medical or designated administrator.  Employees may be assigned to day, evening, night or rotating shifts which may include holidays and weekends.  Employees are subject to call-in and overtime based on staffing needs. The work may require long periods of standing, walking, bending and reaching.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Pharmacist III is differentiated from a Pharmacist II in that the Pharmacist III is responsible for supervising a pharmacy and supervises lower-level Pharmacists while the Pharmacist II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  A Pharmacist III is differentiated from the Clinical Pharmacist in that the Clinical Pharmacist is responsible for the clinical quality of pharmacy services provided to a select population of patients.

Supervises the professional and non-professional personnel assigned to the pharmacy;

Trains lower-level Pharmacists in facility procedures and work systems;

Dispenses and compounds prescribed medications, drugs and other pharmaceuticals for patient care, according to professional standards and State and federal requirements;

Reviews and fills prescriptions issued by physicians or other authorized prescriber;

Prepares various compounds and admixtures;

Monitors the dispensing of drugs and inspects drug storage;

Maintains drug controls regarding distribution of controlled substances;

Places drug orders periodically to maintain proper level of supply;

Develops and periodically reviews the hospital formulary;

Provides for safe use and control of research medication;

Provides for emergency pharmaceutical services;

Provides for dependable delivery of filled drug orders;

Prepares drug preparations in bulk quantity for hospital use;

Prepares the pharmacy’s budget and establishes its policies and procedures;

Performs other necessary duties as required.

1. Employees in this classification are subject to call-in and, therefore, will be required to provide the facility with a phone number at which they can be reached.

2. Employees in the classification are subject to substance abuse testing in accordance with the Code of Maryland Regulations 17.04.09, Testing for Illegal Use of Drugs.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.