Clinical Pharmacist - Oncology/Investigational

Department Overview

The purpose of this position is to provide the services of a licensed pharmacist which includes the responsibility for the safe and proper distribution and use of medications in inpatients and outpatients who range in age from neonates, infants less than one year of age, children and adolescents ages 10-18, adults ages 19-65 and the elderly over age 65.

This position is to function at higher decision making and accountability levels regarding medication therapy, proactively affecting medication use by making recommendations at the time prescribing decisions are being made or, in some cases, making independent decisions about medication therapy in cooperation with other healthcare team members. Additional services provided include facilitatation of medication reconciliation, discharge counseling, and medication delivery through coordination of care from admission to discharge. The pharmacist must possess strong communication skills for patient education and work collaboratively with inpatient and outpatient interdisciplinary teams including but not limited to providers, nurses, case workers, pharmacists, and technicians, as well as, the teaching and precepting component of students, interns and/or residents.

This is a flexible model where coordination of care for the patient as he/she transitions from one aspect of the medication use system to another is integrated with traditionally centralized functions, such as order entry/verification. This coordinated care model will continue to evolve as part of an integrated decentralized patient care practice. This position may be responsbile for rotating through several work sites which may include, but not be limited to Research Pharmacy and Adult/Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Infusion units. Either taking call for Research Pharmacy or working every 4th to 6th weekend may be required.

Function/Duties of Position

• Identifies, resolves and documents complex therapeutic problems, demonstrating advanced knowledge and application of this knowledge to a specific patient population.

• Interprets and evaluates prescriber's orders and for accuracy, completeness and appropriateness.  Documents activities of clinical decision or medication distribution issues that are not in line with the standard of practice, require follow-up, or continued monitoring/evaluation.  Verify the accuracy and appropriateness of medications prepared and dispensed from the pharmacy

• Assists in the reconciliation of medications, education of patients regarding their home medication regimens, and coordination of the discharge medication plan with the interdisciplinary team.  Documents activities in the patient medical record. 

• Monitors therapeutic response and adverse effects of medications to guide drug therapy.  Consults with provider when questions or problems are identified and documents activies in the patient medical record.  Appropriately reports all adverse drug reactions, drug defects, and medication errors.

• Responds accurately to requests for drug information from prescribers, nurses, patients and patient's families; independently reviews and interprets the literature and applies this information to specific patient care situations.

• Assists in the development of treatment guidelines to be used in patients with specific diagnosis.  Documents activities in the patient medical record, pharmacy monitoring profile, drug use evaluation data collection or adverse drug reaction reporting program.

• Influences standards of therapy by forming peer level relationships with prescribers and is recognized as the authority on mediations in their practice area by prescribers, nurses and pharmacists.

• Participates in both intra and interdepartmental education programs; participates in the development of peers.

• Supervise the activities and assume responsibility for all duties being performed by technicians, students, interns, and residents and monitors and evaluates their performance.     

Required Qualifications

• BS in Pharmacy or Pharm.D. PLUS Practice Residency/Equivalent

• Licensure in the State of Oregon

• Experience or Specialist Certification (BCPS, BCOPS, etc) 

• Inpatient hospital pharmacy practice: Ability to meet the pharmaceutical care needs of the following patient care types: Acute care, psychiatric, rehabilitiaion, skilled nursing, long-term care, obstetric, oncology, chemically dependent, HIV, home care, hospice.  

• Demonstrates the ability to:

  • Enforce pharmaceutical care principles safely and accurately

  • Make age-related modification of drug therapy

  • Make disease-related modification of drug therapy

  • Evaluate medical literature 

  • Work independently without minimal direct supervision

  • Handle multiple tasks and frequent interruptions

  • Communicate effectively  both formally and infomrally, including presentations

  • Project manage

  • Work with a team professionally and collaboratively

  • Set priorities to respond quickly to emergent situations/requests

  • Work cooperatively with health-system and pharmacy staff

  • Communicate effectively and professionally (orally and in writing)

  • Perform work accurately with attention to detail

  • Exercise sound professional judgement

  • Perform systematic problem solving

  • Enforce practice guidelines,standards, and medication related policies

  • Make critical decisions

  • Perform key computuer related skills including use of the EMR, common word processing, spreadsheet, medical literature and medicatioin databases

• Ability to perform the job duties with or without accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

• PGY-2 Specialty Residency BLS/ACLS certification Vaccination certification Teaching Certificate   

• Experience in Oncology pharmacy practice, either inpatient or outpatient.

• Experience in Investigational Drug Service/ Research Pharmacy practice.

• Management of Oncology and related drug therapy plans, Non-oncology Infusion plans, transition of care planning.

• Specialist Certifications (BCPS, BCOPS, etc) State of Oregon Pharmacy Preceptor licensure

Additional Details

The pharmacist will experience competing demands from nurses, physicians, pharmacy staff and other healthcare professionals, as they attempt to influence clinical decision-making, clinical policies and practices and work flow. The pharmacist must deal with intense situations on a daily basis. In addition, within the healthcare setting there can be significant lack of control over the work pace, with frequent interruptions (work is often dictated by external factors) that may lead to mental fatigue or stress.

Why apply to OHSU?

We are Oregon's only public academic health center. In addition to caring for patients, we lead groundbreaking research. We also train the next generation of health care professionals. As Portland's largest employer, we give you opportunities to learn and advance in a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and Southwest Washington. All are welcome. OHSU welcomes people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, national origins, religions and sexual orientations. We are striving to build an anti-racist, multicultural institution and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply. To request reasonable accommodation, contact [email protected]