Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Clinical Cancer Center Pharmacist

The University of Iowa Healthcare Pharmacy Department is looking for a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist to join our team. This pharmacist position provides pharmaceutical care services to patients seen in the ambulatory Care Clinical Cancer Center Clinic. It provides clinical support, education, coordination of dispensing, and monitoring for patients receiving specialty medications at UI Health Care Specialty Pharmacy Services and/or are under the care of UI Health Care providers. It serves as a role-model/practitioner-educator for Doctor of Pharmacy students and pharmacy residents and carries out clinical practice responsibilities for the Department of Pharmaceutical Care.

Position Responsibilities: 

A.   Patient Care - Participate in the provision of pharmaceutical care in select clinics:

• Be present in clinics when patients are scheduled to see the clinical pharmacist and when clinical pharmacy services are required.

• Complete a comprehensive patient assessment including medication history, pertinent physical assessment, and assessment of relevant laboratory values, patient interview, and an evaluation of past medical history for appropriate patients.

• Collaborate with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, other health care providers, and patients as a member of the inter-professional team to achieve positive outcomes through optimal medication use and management.

• Provide disease state management and medication therapy management services through the use of collaborative practice agreements and protocols.

• Provide in-depth patient medication assessment and education.

• Provide follow-up of therapeutic recommendations through telephone calls and return clinic appointments as appropriate.

• Identify, evaluate and prevent adverse drug events through appropriate interventions.

• Communicate therapeutic recommendations to the health care providers verbally and/or through electronic health record documentation.

• Document relevant clinical information in electronic medical record.

• Coordinate medication-planning activities including facilitation of prescription writing, patient education, coordination with family members or home health care providers, etc.

• Collaboratively address financial issues to ensure receipt of needed medications.

• Provide drug information and education to health care professionals.

• Serve as liaison for ambulatory pharmacy staff regarding patient medication therapy.

• Complete patient follow-up calls to address side-effects/adherence.

• Provide 24-hour, 7 days a week on-call coverage on a rotation schedule for Ambulatory Care Specialty Pharmacy Services.

• Evaluate patient-specific medication regimens to ensure the appropriateness of the following:

o   Indication

o   Correct dose

o   Route of administration

o   Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-lab, or drug-disease state interactions

o   Efficacy of therapy

o   Adherence to therapy

o   Dose adjustments for organ dysfunction        

o   Adverse drug reactions

o   Potential drug misuse or abuse

o   Use of the most cost-effective therapy

o   Availability of medications at UI Health Care  (if applicable)

B.   Residency Training and Student Teaching Programs:

• Develop goals and objectives for pharmacy residency programs and Doctor of Pharmacy advanced pharmacy practice and introductory pharmacy practice experiences.

• Prepare and administer pharmacy student and / or resident performance evaluations.

• Participate in the formal experiential training and didactic teaching required to conduct the pharmacy residency programs and Doctor of Pharmacy advanced pharmacy practice and introductory pharmacy practice experiences.

• Participate in recruiting activities for pharmacy residency programs.

C.   Provide daily communication and follow-up to other clinical pharmacists, pharmacy areas, and other health care professionals as needed:

• Provide in-service education to pharmacists as needed.

• Provide in+-service to members of the health care team as needed.

• Assist physicians, nurses, and patients with medication questions, medication access and continuity of care issues.

D.   Documentation of patient care activities in accreditation compliant manners:

• Clinical services and patient care activities in the electronic medical record.

• Patient assessment and therapeutic plan recommendations.

• Medication errors into standard reporting system.

• Adverse drug reactions into standard reporting system.

• Patient allergies and height/weight information as needed.

• Medication counseling provided to patients.

• Interventions with prescribers and other health care providers.

• Clinic and follow-up telephone encounters.

• Others as required.

E.   Develop and provide new department clinical service initiatives:

• Be a resource to staff for after-hours issues in oncology clinic patients.

• Develop or contribute to the development of protocols related to appropriate prescribing, dispensing and monitoring of specialty medications.

• Provide a leadership role in department or interdisciplinary hospital committees involved with drug therapy issues.

• Develop or contribute to the development of drug information resources and practice guidelines that are available hospital wide to foster cost effective and rational prescribing.

• Design, implement, and coordinate development of the clinical components of the pharmacy or hospital wide information systems.

• Adhere to all credentialing and privileging requirements under collaborative practice agreements and standard of care.

F.    Administration:

• Coordinate therapeutic decision-making when there is a paucity of literature or experience for reference.

• Serve as the primary reference source on new drug therapy advances in the specialized area of practice.

• Identify and resolve significant/highly unusual patient drug therapy problems.

• Develop and coordinate completion of clinically oriented departmental goals.

• Develop policies, procedures, and clinical reference documents relevant to the clinical applications of new therapies.

• Manage and analyze events related to medication errors – including participation in formal multi-disciplinary sentinel event review teams.

• Assist in evaluations assessing the clinical skills of professional staff.

• Interview and evaluate prospective professional pharmacy practitioners.

• Adhere to all department policies and procedures.

• Contribute to the department budgetary process by reviewing, designing, implementing, and monitoring budget initiatives that address hospital wide or unit specific issues.

• Participate with the implementation and monitoring of new programs developed either by the Department or through another means (e.g., P&T Committee).

G.   Quality Improvement:

• Provide a leadership role in university committees involved with drug therapy.

• Perform quality assurance monitoring of services provided by the Cancer Center Pharmacy.

• Develop educational programs to certify the clinical competence of pharmacists and improve the technician understanding of medical conditions being treated.

• Completion and upkeep of university, department of pharmaceutical care, and specialty pharmacy competencies and CE requirements as assigned.

H.   Other:

• Conduct research in area of expertise and present/publish results at professional meetings or in professional journals.

• Consistently demonstrate the WECARE values and Service Excellence culture of Iowa Health Care.

• Complete and maintain compliance with all competencies and educational requirements.