Senior Clinical Pharmacist - Behavioral Health & Recovery Services (Open & Promotional)

Job Description

Description

San Mateo County Health's Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) is seeking a Senior Clinical Pharmacist to promote safe, evidence-based, clinically appropriate, and cost-effective medication use across behavioral health services.

Under the direction of the Pharmacy Manager, the Senior Clinical Pharmacist plans, coordinates, conducts, and evaluates pharmacy utilization review and quality assurance (URQA) activities, with an emphasis on behavioral health, psychiatric pharmacy, and substance use pharmacotherapy.

This position combines clinical expertise, data-informed quality improvement, and collaboration with prescribers and other health care professionals. The Senior Clinical Pharmacist provides complex clinical consultation and drug information, supports formulary and medication-use initiatives, develops clinical guidance and educational resources, and identifies opportunities to improve medication safety, access, quality, and outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

The Senior Clinical Pharmacist will be responsible for, but not limited to:

• Plan and conduct prospective, concurrent, and retrospective drug utilization reviews and medication use evaluations (MUEs) to assess medication use, prescribing practices, and clinical outcomes.
• Analyze medication utilization, prescribing patterns, costs, prior authorization trends, medication safety events, and adherence to established clinical criteria and guidelines.
• Develop and monitor URQA measures, reports, and other tools to evaluate medication quality, safety, access, utilization, and cost and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Evaluate high-risk, high-cost, and high-utilization medications and recommend strategies to promote safe, effective, and appropriate medication use.
• Develop and evaluate formulary and medication-use criteria, therapeutic interchange criteria, clinical guidelines, protocols, and related policies based on current evidence and best practices.
• Evaluate adverse drug reactions and medication safety trends and support the development, implementation, and follow-up of corrective and quality improvement actions.
• Lead and support Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee activities, including formulary reviews, new drug monographs, meeting materials, recommendations, and implementation of approved actions.
• Support formulary management, prior authorization, pharmacy benefit processes, medication access, and cost-saving initiatives through utilization analysis and quality review.
• Provide evidence-based clinical consultation and drug information to prescribers and other health care professionals, with an emphasis on psychiatric pharmacotherapy and medication-assisted treatment.
• Provide technical guidance, training, and education to pharmacy staff, providers, psychiatry residents and interns, and other learners.
• Provide medication reconciliation, medication counseling, and education to clients, as needed.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary committees, workgroups, and clinical partners to advance medication safety, quality, appropriate utilization, and clinical pharmacy initiatives.

NOTE: The eligible list created from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future permanent, extra help and/or temporary vacancies.

Qualifications
Licensure/Certification:
Possession of a license and current registration to practice as a Registered Pharmacist issued by the California State Board of Pharmacy.

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

Education:

Graduation from a School of Pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (Pharm. D.) or equivalent.

Experience:

Three years of recent full-time clinical pharmacist experience in behavioral health, psychiatric pharmacy, ambulatory care, or a comparable setting. Qualifying experience must include clinical medication management, formulary management, medication use evaluation, drug information, pharmacy benefit support or related clinical pharmacy services. Experience must also demonstrate the ability to lead clinical pharmacy projects, provide work direction or training, coordinate services, or manage complex clinical pharmacy initiatives.

Knowledge of:

• Principles, methods and procedures used in the practice of pharmacy and in the delivery of pharmacy services in a hospital and/or clinic setting.
• Principles, practices, trends and technological developments in the area of pharmacology.
• Applicable laws, regulations, accreditation standards and safety guidelines.
• Functions of pharmacy services and the interrelationships of the various disciplines in the health services field.
• Cost-effective drug therapies.
• Office administrative practices and procedures, including records management and use of computer systems and applications.
• Clinical practices, procedures and techniques in the area of pharmacology.

Skill/Ability to:

• Develop and maintain effective programs and systems related to clinically and cost-effective pharmacy services.
• Train staff in work procedures and provide technical and programmatic assistance to staff and subcontractors.
• Administer and coordinate clinically and cost-effective pharmacy programs.
• Analyze, interpret and apply various regulations and requirements.
• Analyze a wide variety of moderate to complex operational problems and make effective operational and/or procedural recommendations.
• Use sound independent judgment to make decisions and determine appropriate courses of action.
• Work effectively with a wide range of health professionals and the public.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Plan and organize work.

Application/Examination

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in the County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button above or below. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT TIMELINE

Final Filing Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026 , at 11:59 PM PST

Application Screening: October 16, 2026
Panel Interviews: October 22, 2026 and/or October 23, 2026

About the County

San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community, and we encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer.

Analyst: Priscilla Bermudez (10012026) (Senior Clinical Pharmacist - F047)