Retail Pharmacy Practice Specialist

Basic Function and Scope of Responsibilities:

The Retail Pharmacy Practice Specialist will serve as the Pharmacist-in-Charge, providing daily oversight of retail pharmacy operations, including supervising pharmacy technicians and support staff. Responsibilities include reviewing and verifying medication orders, conducting therapeutic drug monitoring, educating patients on therapy, preparing and dispensing medications, and monitoring patient progress. This role will deliver comprehensive pharmaceutical care services to Mission Cancer Blood -UI Health Care patients at retail/outpatient pharmacies. The Pharmacist-in-Charge will also ensure that the pharmacy and staff comply with all regulatory and accreditation requirements. This position is based in the Des Moines, Iowa area.

$10,000 Sign-On Bonus Included!

Principal Responsibilities:

1. Patient Care-Participating in the Provision of Pharmaceutical Care: The pharmacist provides care to patients by:

• Reviewing medication orders, monitoring therapy, and ensuring appropriateness of prescriptions.
• Preparing and dispensing medications, providing patient education on medications including chemotherapy and supportive care medications.
• Working with a multidisciplinary team to address patient needs and prevent adverse drug events.
• Documenting all patient care activities and interventions in the electronic medical record.

2. Provides Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) on take-home prescription orders: Completes a comprehensive patient assessment which includes evaluation of the patient’s medications, and an evaluation of the patient’s medical history.

Evaluates all prescription orders to ensure the appropriateness of the following:

• Indication for use
• Dose
• Route of administration
• Duplicate therapy
• Drug interactions
• Dose adjustments for organ dysfunction
• Drug-induced side effects and adverse reactions
• Potential drug misuse or abuse
• Use of the most cost-effective therapy, including appropriate adjudication of prescription(s) and resolution of insurance rejections.
• Communicates with prescribers about patient medication needs.
• Evaluates patient compliance with prescribed medication therapy and identifies problems that may lead to noncompliance.
• Utilizes appropriate resources and coordinates the resolution of financial concerns/burdens with financial counselors.

3. Facilitates Operational Initiatives Which Lead to Enhanced Patient Care Services:
The Retail Pharmacy Practice Specialist must assume the role of patient advocate for all issues associated with drug therapy. Participation in hospital-wide programs intended to improve care (e.g., the Medication Use Evaluation Program and Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Program) serves as a valuable quality-of-service surveillance tool and promotes healthcare provider education. This may include:

• Addressing medication system issues and reporting them via an internal error reporting system to ensure patient safety.
• Performing quality assurance monitoring of services provided at the infusion suite and/or retail pharmacy.
• Participating in hospital-wide quality programs and audits and accreditation surveys.
• Supporting medication-related problem-solving and prescriber education.
• Managing inventory by ordering supplies, monitoring expiration dates, conducting regular audits, and ensuring compliance with recordkeeping and retention regulations.

4. Provides Educational Services:
An important responsibility of the Retail Pharmacy Practice Specialist is the education of students, fellow staff, other healthcare providers, and patients about drugs and their appropriate use. This may include:

• Serving as a preceptor for pharmacy students and residents.
• Educating staff, healthcare teams, and patients about medication use.
• Presenting educational sessions and mentoring other pharmacists.

5. Participates in Research:
The Pharmacy Practice Specialist participates in research activities as appropriate, including providing support for Investigational Drug Service prescriptions and orders. Precepting pharmacy resident research and the presentation and/or publication of research findings are encouraged.

6. Regulatory compliance:
The Pharmacist-in-charge is responsible for ensuring adherence to all regulatory requirements, including applicable state and federal regulations, and accreditation standards. Key responsibilities include:

• Monitoring staff completion of institutional and department competencies.
• Monitoring staff completion of institutional and department competencies.
• Ensuring staff demonstrate competence and are compliant with institutional and departmental policies and procedures.
• Maintaining records in accordance with applicable laws and departmental policies and conducting routine audits.
• Participating in accreditation evaluations and other regulatory inspections required for licensure.
• Serving as the DEA registrant.

Other:

• Complete all required competencies and educational requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Education Requirements:

• Pharm. D. (Doctor of Pharmacy) degree or a Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacy

Performance Requirements:

• At least one year of experience in a retail pharmacy.
• Current licensure in good standing by the Iowa Board of Pharmacy is required upon hire.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with others.
• Job related experience with and/or commitment to service excellence.

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge of USP 795, 797, and USP 800 is desirable.
• Specialty pharmacy or oncology experience is desirable.
• Immunization certification is desirable.
• Experience providing customer service in a professional manner is desirable.

Organizational Structure:
Job Title this position reports: Pharmacy Manager

Working Conditions:

Physical surroundings: Medical office

Adverse working environment: Work may be stressful due to continual interaction with others, long hours required and nature of the medical specialty.

Physical Effort: Must possess the physical and mental abilities to perform the tasks normally associated with this role including walking, bending, standing, reaching, and sitting. Lifting up to 15 pounds of office or technology equipment.

Local Travel: Within the state of Iowa

Domestic/International Travel: None

Extensive Hours: Varies due to need

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all associated responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions. Mission Cancer Blood part of University of Iowa Health Care reserves the right to change, amend, add, delete, and otherwise assign any and all duties, responsibilities and position titles as it deems necessary to meet the needs of the business.

Mission Cancer Blood part of University of Iowa Health Care is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

In the interest of ensuring the safety of our employees, patients and community, Mission Cancer Blood part of University of Iowa Health Care has adopted a mandatory vaccination policy for COVID-19. All employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless granted a reasonable accommodation for disability, religious or other extenuating circumstances. New employees will be granted a reasonable time to come into compliance with the policy, if necessary.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Referral program
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Experience:

• Customer service: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: In person