Clinical Pharmacist Specialist

City of Hope; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Hope in California seeks a Clinical Pharmacist Specialist to lead evidence‑based pharmaceutical care for oncology patients on a multidisciplinary team. The role emphasizes collaboration with physicians, nurses and pharmacists to optimize chemotherapy management and patient outcomes.

The CPS will monitor therapy, support formulary decisions and help ensure compliance with regulatory standards while educating care teams on best practices in oncology pharmacotherapy.

Qualifications

• Graduate of an ACPE‑accredited Pharmacy School.
• Completion of PGY‑1 Residency and PGY‑2 (or substitution with experience) as described.
• Current CA Pharmacist License.
• BLS certification through the American Heart Association.

Responsibilities

• Actively participate in multidisciplinary team rounds.
• Evaluate physician med orders for appropriateness and safety.
• Develop and implement drug therapy plans with the care team.
• Monitor treatments and document outcomes; adjust as needed for optimal care.
• Approve new drug orders and verify chemotherapy notes as appropriate.
• Support reimbursement optimization and pre-authorization efforts to minimize denials.
• Educate staff on oncology therapies and management, including safety and dosing.

Skills

Clinical pharmacist practice

Team collaboration

Education

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

CA Pharmacist License

Job description

Join the transformative team at City of Hope, where we're changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and treatment facilities in Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix. Our dedicated and compassionate employees are driven by a common mission: To deliver the cures of tomorrow to the people who need them today.

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. This role entails collaborative work within the multidisciplinary team at City of Hope. Additionally, they provide disease-specific support in their area of specialty, act as a bridge between the pharmacy enterprise and the healthcare team.

Responsibilities

• Actively participate in multidisciplinary team rounds.
• Evaluate physician’s 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 document actions.
• When appropriate, approve new drug orders, which may include checking/verifying chemotherapy notes and processing non-formulary requests.
• Engage in activities related to reimbursement optimization and pre-authorization with the ultimate goal of minimizing insurance denials, when appropriate.
• Engage in activities that promote cost‑effective high‑quality care such as review for appropriate medication use criteria, medical necessity and “on/off” label indication based on payer guidelines, coordination of necessary documentation with the ordering provider, and interpreting ongoing payer changes to the team.
• 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 in close collaboration with the pharmacy medication safety officer to address medication errors and near misses and ensure that system issues resulting in medication errors are resolved. Develop standard work processes and staff education to address system gaps.
• Participate in formulary management and review of 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 (PGY 2), or five years of experience as a clinical pharmacist in a desired area of specialty may substitute for the required residencies, or a PGY 1 residency plus three years of experience as a clinical pharmacist in a desired area of specialty may substitute for the required PGY 2 residency.
• Current CA Pharmacist License.
• BLS certification through the American Heart Association.

Benefits & Compensation

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

City of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.