Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Specialty and Gene Therapies
University of Iowa

The University of Iowa, Department of Pharmaceutical Care, is seeking a full-time Clinical Pharmacy Specialist to join our team. This pharmacist will provide clinical services for patients on specialty medications as well as project coordination for medications under the medical benefit (clinic administered, infusions, etc.). In conjunction with Ambulatory pharmacy leadership, the Clinical Specialist will provide leadership, project, and operational support for gene therapies and high-cost agents across the ambulatory enterprise. This pharmacist will routinely partner with a range of multidisciplinary healthcare team members and participate in routine coordination with payer relations, billing support, inpatient services, home care services, and prior authorization team members.

The pharmacist will work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary healthcare team to provide care for patients in specialty clinics. They will answer clinical questions about medications, provide education on new therapies and medication devices, coordinate dispensing, as well as medication monitoring and management for patients receiving specialty medications through UI Health Care Specialty Pharmacy Services. The pharmacist also 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:

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

Work with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other health care providers as a member of the multi-disciplinary team

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 provider

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

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

• Indication
• Correct dose
• Route of administration
• Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-lab, or drug-disease state interactions
• Efficacy of therapy
• Adherence to therapy
• Dose adjustments for organ dysfunction
• Adverse drug reactions
• Potential drug misuse or abuse
• Use of the most cost-effective therapy
• Availability of medications on the UI Health Care Formulary (if applicable)

Provide staffing support for Specialty Pharmacy Services when needed

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

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 rotation 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

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 education to members of the health care team as needed

Assist physicians, nurses, health care team members, and patients with medication questions, medication access and continuity of care issues

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

Develop and provide new department clinical service initiatives, which may require any or all of the following:

Complete feasibility assessments for utilization of high-cost agents and therapies as well as supporting documentation for manufacturer documentation

Serves as a project lead, partner, or coordinator for onboarding of high-cost and gene therapies

Partner with enterprise team members to ensure high fidelity processes including staff from revenue cycle, supply chain, payer relations, infusion suites, inpatient services, and clinic areas

In conjunction with Ambulatory pharmacy leadership, coordinate correspondence with manufacturers

Participate in the rotation with other specialists to support 24-hour, 7-day/week on-call coverage to ambulatory care patients for drug therapy issue problem solving

Develop or contribute to the development of protocols related to appropriate prescribing, dispensing and monitoring of specialty or high-cost medications

Provide a leadership role in department or interdisciplinary hospital committees involved with drug therapy issues with a predominate focus on high-cost and gene therapies, as needed or assigned

Develop or contribute to the development of drug information resources such as pocket cards and practice guidelines that are distributed hospital wide to foster cost effective, rational prescribing

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

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

Complete clinically oriented departmental goals

Develop and coordinate 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 informal multi-disciplinary sentinel event review teams

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)

Provide recommendations and support transcription of medication pump parameters including dose ranges, guardrails, and other safety parameters

Quality Improvement

Provide a leadership role in university committees involved with drug therapy

Develop and conduct measurement activities that demonstrate Specialty Pharmacy Service value, including workload metrics, adherence, and outcome measures

Perform quality assurance monitoring of services provided by the UIHC Specialty Pharmacy Services

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

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 UIHC

Complete and maintain compliance with all competencies and educational requirements Q

Education Requirements:

• A Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy or Doctor of Pharmacy degree is required
• Eligibility for or current license by the Iowa Board of Pharmacy Examiners is required prior to start
• Board certification in an applicable area or applicable specialty certification within 12 months of being eligible or start date whichever is more relevant.

Experience Requirements:

• Completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY1 pharmacy practice residency OR 3 years' experience in a complex multi-disciplinary healthcare environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required
• Job-related experience with and/or commitment to service excellence is required
• Professional experience working effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.

Desired Qualifications

• Satisfactory completion of an ASHP-accredited PGY2 residency is desirable
• Active board certification in Ambulatory Care, Oncology, or Pharmacotherapy is desirable
• Experience with specialty pharmacy, infusions, gene therapies, and high-cost agents is desirable
• Knowledge and/or participation in accreditation standards, pharmacy services provided under the medical benefit, and process development & improvement is desirable
• Able to work independently, prioritize multiple stakeholders and tasks, manage details and deliver results in an environment with competing demands
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with others

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 14 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.

For additional questions, please contact Penni Berger @penni-berger@uiowa.edu

Additional Information

• Classification Title: Pharmacy Specialist
• Appointment Type: Professional and Scientific
• Schedule: Full-time

Compensation

• Pay Level: 6B

Contact Information

• Organization: Healthcare
• Contact Name: Penni Berger
• Contact Email: penni-berger@uiowa.edu

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