Job Description Summary

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist supporting an outpatient Oncology Infusion Clinic.

Entity

Medical University Hospital Authority (MUHA)

Worker Type

Employee

Worker Sub-Type​

Regular

Cost Center

CC003686 KER - Pharmacy (KMC)

Pay Rate Type

Salary

Pay Grade

Health-34

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Work Shift

Job Description

Clinical Pharmacy Services
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Maintain competence in specialty area and sub-specialty area. If board certified in primary specialty area, maintain certification. If seeking certification, ascertain within one year of employment, or complete equivalent competencies to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities at the level of a clinical specialist. (competencies can be oncology CE credits in area of specialty, or other approved educational courses as agreed upon with supervisor).
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Exhibit and utilize specialized knowledge of anti-cancer therapy, administration, symptom management, and supportive care.
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Coordinate therapeutic drug monitoring programs for your patient population as applicable. Work with clinical pharmacists to manage the program and ensure patient follow-up during evenings and weekends.
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Provide medication-related interventions focused on selecting the safest and most appropriate therapy that offers the best potential outcomes for patients while being mindful of financial impact.
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Collect all pertinent information to understand the patient’s medical/medication history
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Evaluate patients drug regimen (both cancer therapy, supportive care, and other medications) for efficacy, side effects, supportive care needs, drug-interactions, contraindications, and warnings, and identify the need for any dose adjustments, or therapeutic alternatives.
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Recommend appropriate care setting (inpatient or outpatient) based on patient therapy, potential side-effects, monitoring, and supportive care needs.
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Participate in interdisciplinary patient care. May be clinic, rounds, sit-down rounds, work groups, team meetings, etc.
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Monitor patients while receiving and after treatment for toxicities, efficacy, organ dysfunction, compliance and recommend dose adjustments if needed.
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Willing to function as a clinical pharmacist as needed with duties such as order verification, drug preparation, and dispensing, and oversight of support personnel with proper training.
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Ensure all documentation is timely and accurate and meets measures for accreditation or compliance
Education: Patient and Professional
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Provide patient education and medication counseling to new start chemotherapy patients seen in your practice area (inpatient or clinic) as needed. Consenting by a pharmacist is not permitted, but education, and assessment of patient competence is within scope of practice.
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Provide medication education to patients as needed. Eg; supportive care, supplements, drug interactions, any other medications needing counseling.
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Provide prescribers with published/available evidence to support medication-related treatment recommendations.
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Educate colleagues (physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians) about new medications, guideline updates, and policy changes.
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Participate in training of pharmacy students, PGY1 and PGY2 residents.
Hematology/Oncology/BMT/Cellular Therapy/Research Clinical Specialists Position Descriptions
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Note: teaching lectures at the College of Pharmacy is optional, and is not compensated financially by the institution.
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Participate in the training of new care team members (pharmacy and non pharmacy)
Operations/Patient Access/Financial Support
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Knowledge of proper storage, handling, preparation, and disposal of hazardous medications. .
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Comply with policies and procedures for waste disposal and wearing appropriate PPE when handling, administering, and disposing of hazardous medications
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Collaborate with researchers, and the IDS pharmacy, regarding patients who are on clinical trials, to ensure orders are entered accurately and timely, and that the patient has access to all needed medications.
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Collaborate with prior-authorization team and retail/specialty pharmacies/and medication assistance team to ensure patients receive their needed medications.
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Support providers in the prior authorization and appeals process when clinical data is needed to support the request for therapy.
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Enters medication orders into the EHR within scope of practice and in alignment with prescribing policies.
Care Coordination
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Employ patient hand-off communications during transitions of care (when planning an admission, discharge, or transfer of service) between the specialist, clinical pharmacist, operations pharmacy (as applicable, primarily for drug inventory management and drug preparation procedures).
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Coordinate chemotherapy administration with clinical pharmacists and nurses as applicable.
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Plan for patient discharge upon admission. Assist with transitions of care by ensuring discharge orders are written and signed, Therapy Plans and Treatment Plans are ordered before discharge, prescriptions are sent to be filled, and prior authorizations are obtained. Utilize support staff to accomplish these tasks.
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Conduct follow-up assessment visits or phone calls for patients who are newly initiated on oral chemotherapy and require adherence and toxicity management. (Specialty pharmacy only follows up on the ones they fill, and they do ask questions about QOL, and should refer the patient back to HON)
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Ensure patients are scheduled for follow-up visits if they are receiving oral chemotherapy or other active treatment that requires monitoring.
Quality Improvement, Practice Management, IT Support, Research and Scholarly Activity
Hematology/Oncology/BMT/Cellular Therapy/Research Clinical Specialists Position Descriptions
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Develop and maintain updates for supportive care guidelines, treatment protocols, and policies applicable to your specialty area.
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Assist IT in building changes into Epic, and validating order sets in conjunction with the prescribers. Provide order-set templates with accurate clinical content that aligns with up-t-date practice guidelines.
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Ensure IT build is safe and built to prevent medication/prescribing errors from occurring.
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Participate in formulary review requests, and attend Hem/Onc P&T, and participate as a voting member when applicable.
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Participate in other committees/meetings as applicable to your practice such as Tumor Boards, Preceptor Meetings, Staff Meetings, Quality and Outcomes meetings, patient safety meetings, etc.
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Encourage provider involvement in decisions about practices and policies that impact their work, such as chemotherapy prescribing practices.
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Review order sets, and update to reflect most recent guideline changes on an annual basis.
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Ensure clinical and operational practice meet regulatory guidelines (such as 340B compliance, FACT accreditation standards, etc)
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Document medication errors or patient safety concerns in PSI, and follow-up with supervisor to ensure they are addressed. Participate in Just Culture Reviews, and identify any needed operational or informatics changes to create a safer practice for our patients.
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Identify concerns or area of opportunity for process improvement, quality concerns, or gaps in practice
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Participate in oncology focused metrics (quality, clinical, productivity, or financial)
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Participate in an MUE or residency project through the residency program
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Other projects
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Contribute to institutional and collaborative research and scholarly activity by either conducting one’s own research, or precepting students/residents in research projects.
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Assist IDS in determining if clinical trials are feasible, reasonable, and compliant with IRB regulations if they seek assistance.
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Review clinical trial protocols for your patients that are receiving treatment, and ensure no deviations occur, especially concerning contraindicated co-medications, dosing, frequency, and lab parameters.
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Submit projects for publication and or presentation to professional journals and organizations

Additional Job Description

Oncology Specialty.

If you like working with energetic enthusiastic individuals, you will enjoy your career with us!

The Medical University of South Carolina is an Equal Opportunity Employer. MUSC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, age, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, family or parental status, or any other status protected by state laws and/or federal regulations. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment based upon applicable qualifications, merit and business need.

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