Clinical Senior Pharmacist - Transitions of Care

Senior Pharmacist – Transitions of Care (TOC)

The Senior Pharmacist – Transitions of Care (TOC) is an advanced clinical practitioner responsible for optimizing medication management across the continuum of care, with a primary focus on hospital admission, transfer, and discharge. This highly patient-facing role is accountable for improving medication safety, continuity of care, and patient outcomes, particularly for high-risk, medically complex, and older adult populations. The Senior TOC Pharmacist provides expert pharmacotherapeutic consultation, ensuring accurate medication reconciliation and clinical optimization of therapy. This includes leading deprescribing efforts for potentially inappropriate medications, especially in older adults, using evidence-based frameworks to reduce polypharmacy and medication-related harm. Responsibilities also include patient and caregiver education, medication access support, and coordination of post-discharge care. Working in a fast-paced, dynamic inpatient environment, the pharmacist actively participates in real-time discharge workflows and collaborates closely with physicians, nurses, case management, social work, and other pharmacy staff to reduce medication-related harm and prevent avoidable readmissions. In addition to supporting established transitions of care programs, the Senior TOC Pharmacist provides direct patient care, contributes to quality improvement initiatives, and serves as a resource to the interdisciplinary team. This role requires frequent presence in patient care areas, active engagement in care coordination activities, and the ability to adapt to evolving patient care and operational needs.

Minimum Qualifications:

• California Pharmacist License eligible and possess a valid license at the time of hire
• American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross Basic Life Support (BLS), or UC Davis Health CPR
• Doctor of Pharmacy from an ACPE-accredited institution, or equivalent training
• Completion of a Post Graduate Year One (PGY1) Acute Care or Ambulatory Care Residency training equivalent to full-time experience in clinical, operational, and transitions of care areas
• Three (3) years of experience in inpatient or ambulatory clinical practice
• Ability to work with, direct and evaluate pharmacy residents and students
• Ability to work with and direct health care professionals
• Ability to communicate well and make independent decisions to resolve minor problems as they arise
• Ability to lead technicians and establish priorities of workflow
• Complete working knowledge of, and skill to apply, practices, principles and techniques of patient care related to area of expertise
• Written and oral communication skills to clearly and concisely provide information, explanations and instructions to, and to elicit information from others with varying levels of ability to understand, including individuals who are ill or distressed, or who may not speak English
• Interpersonal skills to establish and maintain a friendly, welcoming environment for customers; to demonstrate an interested, understanding, compassionate manner; to maintain a courteous and calm demeanor; and to use a proactive approach to negotiate with and persuade others to take required action
• Ability to maintain composure, efficiency and a positive, customer-service oriented manner during periods of peak workload, with frequent interruptions, under tight deadlines, and when interacting with challenging customers who may be ill, angry, or emotionally distressed
• Problem-solving skills to independently recognize and define a problem; identify the resources available to help solve the problem; create and implement viable solutions; and follow through to ensure the problem is resolved to the satisfaction of all parties
• Decision-making skills to independently exercise delegated authority to take action, and to recognize when it is appropriate to seek assistance from others when limits of delegated authority have been reached
• Ability to exercise discretion to ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained, and a professional, respectful clinic/department environment exists at all times

Preferred Qualifications:

• BCPS (Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist) or BCACP (Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist)
• Completion of a Post-Graduate Year Two (PGY2) residency in Internal Medicine, Transitions of Care, or Ambulatory Care, or of a Post Graduate Year One (PGY1) residency with five (5) years of clinical practice experience in specialty practice area
• Experience with TOC programs, Meds-to-Beds, population health, or quality improvement
• Advanced medication reconciliation expertise
• Proficiency with electronic medical records (Epic preferred)

Key Responsibilities:

• 60% - Transitions of Care Clinical Services
• 10% - Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Consultation
• 10% - Fosters Academic Excellence
• 5% - Program Support, Quality Improvement, and Outcomes
• 5% - General Clinical Support
• 5% - Operational Support
• 5% - Leadership and Professional Contributions

Department Overview:

UC Davis Health is a nationally recognized leader in the provision of high-quality, patient-centered care, based in the Greater Sacramento area of Northern California. UC Davis Health has a Comprehensive Cancer Center, internationally recognized MIND Institute, and a nationally ranked pediatric hospital. The UC Davis acute care hospital has 646 beds and an ambulatory care service area spanning north to the Oregon border, east to Nevada, and down the Central Valley to Fresno, California, covering 65,000 square miles across 33 counties. The Department of Pharmacy is a dynamic, integral, and critical part of patient care provided by UC Davis Health. As a department of greater than 600 professional, technical, and administrative support personnel, we focus on providing patient-centered medication management that optimizes outcomes through practice, education, research, and leadership through the continuum of care. We also have the largest pharmacy residency program in the country with 46 total residents in 13 different programs. The Department of Pharmacy offers comprehensive pharmaceutical services (unit dose, IV admixtures, clinical services, infusion pumps, and teaching) throughout the health system complex 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The pharmacy services encompass inpatient pharmacy services as well as an expansive footprint in the ambulatory care space where we have clinical pharmacists embedded within our clinics and specialty care locations. Our operational teams support the health system enterprise with three inpatient pharmacies, five outpatient pharmacies, two infusion pharmacies, a home infusion service line, and the full complement of pharmacy purchasing, stores, and distribution.

Position Information:

• Salary or Pay Range: $ 7,870.19 - $ 8,863.55
• Salary Frequency: Biweekly
• Salary Grade: 115
• UC Job Title: PHARMACIST SR EX
• UC Job Code: 007932
• Number of Positions: 1
• Appointment Type: Staff: Career
• Percentage of Time: 100
• Shift (Work Schedule): Full-Time
• Location: Main Hospital (HSP001)
• Union Representation: HX-Healthcare Professionals
• Benefits Eligible: Yes

This position is 100% on-site Benefits Outstanding benefits and perks are among the many rewards of working for the University of California. UC Davis offers a full range of benefits, resources and programs to help you bring your best self to work, as well as to help you and your family achieve your health, wellness, financial and career goals.