Clinical Pharmacist Specialist

Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Inc.; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Hope seeks a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist to provide autonomous, evidence-based pharmaceutical care within a multidisciplinary oncology team. The CPS will collaborate across care settings to optimize drug therapy, participate in rounds, and ensure appropriate documentation and payer alignment.

The role emphasizes oncology pharmacotherapy, safety, and education for clinical and pharmacy staff, with a focus on care quality and cost-effective practices in a large health system.

Qualifications

• Must be a graduate of an ACPE-accredited Pharmacy School.
• Completion of a Pharmacy Practice Residency (PGY1) and a Specialty Residency (PGY2) or equivalent experience may substitute for PGY2.
• Current California Pharmacist License is required.
• BLS certification through the American Heart Association is required.

Responsibilities

• Actively participate in multidisciplinary team rounds.
• Evaluate physicians' medication orders for appropriateness.
• Help develop and implement drug therapy plans for patients with other team members.
• Monitor treatments and provide timely follow-up on clinical effects, adjusting as needed.
• Approve new drug orders, including chemotherapy notes, and process non-formulary requests when appropriate.
• Engage in reimbursement optimization and pre-authorization to minimize insurance denials.
• Promote cost-effective, high-quality care by reviewing payer guidelines and documentation with ordering providers.
• Educate medical, nursing, and pharmacy staff about management and monitoring of oncology therapies.

Skills

BLS certification (AHA)

Education

Pharmacist degree (ACPE-accredited)

PGY1 Residency

PGY2 Residency or 5 years clinical pharmacy

Job description

Clinical Pharmacist Specialist

Join the transformative team at City of Hope, where we are dedicated to delivering the cures of tomorrow to those in need. Our growing national system includes the Los Angeles campus, clinical care locations across Southern California, new cancer centers in Orange County, and treatment facilities in Atlanta, Chicago, and Phoenix.

The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist (CPS) operates at the pinnacle of clinical practice, working autonomously to facilitate evidence‑based pharmaceutical care services through direct and indirect engagement with patients and providers. The role involves collaborative work within the multidisciplinary team at City of Hope and provides disease‑specific support in the specialist’s area, acting as a bridge between the pharmacy enterprise and the healthcare team.

Your responsibilities include:

• Actively participate in multidisciplinary team rounds.
• Evaluate physicians' medication orders for appropriateness.
• Help develop and implement drug therapy plans for patients in collaboration with other team members.
• Monitor treatments and provide timely follow‑up on the clinical effects of the medication regimen, recommending adjustments as necessary to achieve optimal outcomes and documenting actions.
• When appropriate, approve new drug orders, including checking and verifying chemotherapy notes, and processing non‑formulary requests.
• Engage in activities related to reimbursement optimization and pre‑authorization to minimize insurance denials when appropriate.
• Engage in activities that promote cost‑effective, high‑quality care, such as reviewing appropriate medication use criteria, medical necessity, and “on/off” label indication based on payer guidelines; coordinate necessary documentation with the ordering provider and interpret ongoing payer changes.
• Keep abreast of changes in payer policies and practices.
• Educate medical, nursing, and pharmacy staff about the management, prescribing and monitoring of oncology therapies, including chemotherapy agents.
• Work closely with the pharmacy medication safety officer to address medication errors and near misses, ensuring that system issues resulting in those errors are resolved. Develop standard work processes and staff education to address system gaps.
• Participate in formulary management and review medication use processes to improve timely delivery of patient care.
• Maintain compliance with all rules and regulations governing the practice of pharmacy and City of Hope policies and procedures.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Leadership Team.

Qualifications:

• Graduate of an ACPE‑accredited Pharmacy School.
• Pharmacy Practice Residency (PGY 1) and Specialty Residency (PGY2), or five years of experience as a clinical pharmacist in a desired area of specialty may substitute for the required residencies; or a PGY1 residency plus three years of experience as a clinical pharmacist in a desired area of specialty may substitute for the required PGY2 residency.
• Current California Pharmacist License.
• BLS certification through the American Heart Association.

City of Hope employees’ pay is based on the following criteria: work experience, qualifications, and work location.

City of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.

To learn more about our Comprehensive Benefits, please read more about them.