Clinical Pharmacist- Specialty Pharmacy and Ambulatory Care

Clinical Pharmacist- Specialty Pharmacy and Ambulatory Care

Come join our team! The University of Iowa Healthcare Department of Pharmaceutical Care is looking for full-time Clinical Pharmacists to join our team! The Specialty Pharmacy and Ambulatory Care Clinical Pharmacist provides pharmaceutical care to patients within the UI Specialty Pharmacy Program and patients seen in UI Healthcare Ambulatory Care Pharmacies. The pharmacist provides clinical support, education, dispensing and monitoring of patients receiving medications through UI Healthcare Ambulatory Care Pharmacies, including Specialty Pharmacy. Services are provided through a variety of avenues including face-to-face, mail order, and telehealth. Adequate training to Specialty Pharmacy and Ambulatory Care Services is provided. The Ambulatory Care Clinical Pharmacist will serve as a role model for other Department of Pharmaceutical Care staff, residents, and students who look to improve their own professional capabilities and level of services, particularly in the provision and expansion of ambulatory pharmacy services. This role will rotate between offsite central fill pharmacy and office locations in Iowa City and support both adult and pediatric ambulatory care operations at UI Health Care Medical Campus. Selective candidates are eligible for a sign-on bonus up to $10,000.

Position duties include:

• Providing therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) on clinic-administered medications and take-home prescription orders.
• Completing a comprehensive patient assessment which includes evaluation of the patient's medications, and an evaluation of the patient's medical history.
• Evaluating all prescription orders to ensure the appropriateness of the following: indication for use, dose, route of administration, drug interactions, dose adjustments for organ dysfunction, physical and therapeutic incompatibilities, drug-induced side effects and adverse reactions, potential drug misuse or abuse, use of the most cost-effective therapy, duplicate therapy.
• Ensuring pharmacokinetic assessment of drug dosing on targeted patients through clinical assessment of patients and desired therapeutic endpoints, preparation of formal dosing recommendations.
• Communicating with prescribers about patient medication needs.
• Conducting review of patient profiles and updates as needed based upon findings at time of patient visit.
• Providing appropriate drug information to other healthcare professionals.
• Confirming/clarifying (assessing) all patient drug allergies noted in the medical record.
• Participating in collecting and documenting medication histories on patients.
• Evaluating patient compliance with prescribed medication therapy and identifying problems that may lead to partial or noncompliance.
• Utilizing appropriate resources and coordinating the resolution of financial concerns/burdens with department financial counselors.
• Documenting all patient care activities performed.

The clinical pharmacist provides pharmacy-related services through sharing of information with other members of the healthcare team via documentation within the patient medical record and other on-line reporting systems. Examples of documentation may include: patient drug allergies and patient-specific height and weight information, medication histories, medication counseling to patients, interventions with prescribers and other healthcare providers, patient interactions those that occur in the clinic and when the patient is located elsewhere (e.g., at home, as an inpatient, in the Ambulatory Care Pharmacy), drug dosing recommendations made to prescribers, drug use evaluation program activities, steps taken to identify, evaluate, or avoid adverse drug reactions.

The clinical pharmacist educates patients on the pharmaceutical care services offered including the following: medication history, patient's drug allergy history, patient teaching classes (where appropriate), medication counseling, communicating patient information to local healthcare providers involved with the patient's care to ensure appropriate continuity of care.

The clinical pharmacist assumes the role of patient advocate for all concerns associated with drug therapy. The clinical pharmacist shall position him/herself to positively influence therapeutic decisions which will affect patients and their care. Participation in hospital-wide programs intended to improve care (e.g., the Drug Use Evaluation Program and Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Program) serves as a valuable quality-of-service surveillance tool and promotes healthcare provider education. Follows-up on any medication system problems, such as: unclear or inappropriate prescription orders, cost effective drug therapy, prescription for non-formulary products. Carries out, as appropriate, medication use evaluation program initiatives through active prescriber intervention and education. Serves on intra- and interdepartmental committees, task forces, and teams as required. Facilitates completion of monthly clinic audits as assigned by the supervisor.

The clinical pharmacist is responsible for the education of students, fellow staff, other healthcare providers, and patients about drugs and their appropriate use. The clinical pharmacist shall serve as a role model for staff and students. The educational process crosses professional boundaries, as the clinical pharmacist interacts with and serves as an informational resource for other members of the health care team. The clinical pharmacist takes great care to instruct all patients about the need for and appropriate use of prescribed medications.

The ambulatory care clinical pharmacist participates in the facilitation of patient transfer from the inpatient to the outpatient setting. Part of the responsibility involves the bedside delivery of discharge medications directly to the patient to provide appropriate medication education at the point of care to expedite the discharge process. Participates in research activities, including providing support for investigational drug service prescriptions and orders. This research may take many forms, including developmental, evaluative, and/or clinical research. It may be intradepartmental or interdisciplinary in format. The presentation and/or publication of research findings are encouraged.

Qualifications:

• Education requirements: PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) degree or Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy.
• Experience requirements: One (1) year of applicable pharmacy experience is required. Prior work or student rotational experience may be considered as relevant.
• Immunization certification.
• Current licensure by the Iowa Board of Pharmacy Examiners is required. Includes those eligible for obtaining this licensure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Professional experience working effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

Desired qualifications:

• Adequate training to Specialty Pharmacy and Ambulatory Care Pharmacy areas will be provided.
• Completion of an ASHP accredited PGY1 Residency.
• Health system pharmacy experience.
• Specialty Pharmacy experience.
• Clinic order experience.
• Non-sterile compounding experience.
• Board certification in Ambulatory Care, Pharmacotherapy, Oncology, Certification in Specialty Pharmacy or other pertinent area.

Position and application details:

In order to be considered for an interview, applicants must upload the following documents and mark them as a "Relevant File" to the submission: resume, cover letter. Job openings are posted for a minimum of 7 calendar days and may be removed from posting and filled any time after the original posting period has ended. Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process. Pay level: PK45.