Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, System Pain Stewardship & Addiction Medicine-28254

Rush University Medical Center; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 111,758 - 176,030; Full time

Job summary

Rush University Medical Center in Chicago seeks a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist to lead the System Pain Stewardship & Addiction Medicine program and provide expert pharmacotherapy across the care continuum. The role partners with physicians, nurses, and interdisciplinary teams to advance evidence-based care aligned with Rush policies.

Responsibilities include implementing pain stewardship policies, monitoring therapies, supporting MOUD, naloxone initiatives, and educating clinicians while

Qualifications

• BS in Pharmacy and IL Pharmacist License required.
• Minimum 4 years clinical pharmacy experience OR PGY1 residency within 7 years.
• Knowledge of IV admixture, IV drug therapy, and chemotherapy.
• Ability to work effectively with others to provide safe drug therapy.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and independence.

Responsibilities

• Provide pharmacotherapy consultation for inpatient and transitional care patients.
• Lead pain stewardship program, policies, and care pathways.
• Monitor therapy for dosing, dosage form, route, interactions; document interventions.
• Serve as liaison to SUIT, Pain, Palliative, Hospice teams.
• Support MOUD and pain pharmacotherapy across transitions.
• Support naloxone access and education across settings.
• Maintain pain stewardship dashboards and KPIs.
• Develop educational programming for clinicians.
• Mentor residents and students.
• Participate in System Pharmacy & Therapeutics committees.

Skills

BS in Pharmacy

IL Pharmacist License

Clinical Pharmacy exp

IV Admixture

Team player

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy

Job description

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Business Unit: Rush Medical Center

Hospital: Rush University Medical Center

Department: Pharmacy

Work Type: Full Time (Total FTE between 0.9 and 1.0)

Shift: Shift 1

Work Schedule: 8 Hr (8:00:00 AM - 4:30:00 PM)

Pay Range: $53.73 - $84.63 per hour

Rush offers exceptional rewards and benefits learn more at our Rush benefits page (https://www.rush.edu/rush-careers/employee-benefits).

Summary

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, System Pain Stewardship & Addiction Medicine, leads the health system's pain stewardship program and serves as the clinical pharmacy expert for pain, palliative care, and substance use disorder pharmacotherapy across the continuum of care. Working closely with physicians, nurses, and interdisciplinary teams, the specialist advances safe, evidence-based, and guideline-concordant care through clinical consultation, program and policy development, opioid stewardship, formulary oversight, quality improvement, and education. The individual must demonstrate maturity, independence, initiative, and strong communication skills while exemplifying the Rush mission, vision, and values and acts in accordance with Rush policies and procedures.

Required Job Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy.
• Illinois Pharmacist License.
• Minimum of four years of Clinical Pharmacy experience OR PGY 1 residency completed within the last seven years, which includes Clinical / Specialty Pharmacy experience.
• Knowledge in intravenous admixture services, intravenous drug therapy and chemotherapy.
• Must be able to work effectively with others to provide safe and effective drug therapy.
• Excellent problem solving skills and the ability to work independently and quickly in responding to and resolving a wide range of problems.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Completed a Specialty (PGY2) Residency in Pain Management & Palliative Care
• BLS/ACLS Certification (or shall be obtained upon hire).
• Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties Board Certification (e.g. BCPMP) (or within one year of hire)
• Active involvement in national pharmacy or pain/palliative/addiction medicine professional organizations.

Responsibilities

• Clinical Pharmacy Specialist — System Pain Stewardship & Addiction Medicine
• Provide pharmacotherapy consultation for inpatient and transitional care patients with acute and chronic pain, and palliative care needs, collaborating with physicians, pharmacists, providers, nurses, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Lead development and implementation of the institution's pain stewardship program, establishingpolicies, protocols, and clinical care pathways aligned with current evidence-based guidelines.
• Monitor medication therapy forappropriate selection, dosing, dosage form, route, therapeutic duplication, and drug/dietary/disease state interactions; document pharmacist interventions in the medical record.
• Serve as the clinical pharmacy liaison to the Substance Use Intervention Team (SUIT), Pain, Palliative, and Hospice teams providing pharmacotherapy consultation for patients, medication order set reviews, guideline, and policy review and ownership.
• Support evidence-based treatment initiation and management including buprenorphine, naltrexone, methadone, and CIWA/COWS-guided alcohol withdrawal protocols in collaboration with SUIT physicians, social workers, and care coordinators.
• Ensure continuity of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and pain pharmacotherapy across care transitions in collaboration with the ambulatory pharmacy.
• Support naloxone access initiatives including co-prescribing programs, patient and family education, and dispensing availability across inpatient and discharge settings.
• Support implementation and prescriberutilizationof opioid risk assessment tools (e.g., ORT, DIRE) and state PDMP integration into clinical workflows.
• Maintain formulary integrity for analgesic, adjuvant, and addiction medicine agents; evaluate new agents and therapeutic alternatives for System Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee consideration.
• Assistin navigation of drug shortages to minimize impact on addiction medicine, pain, and palliative care patient populations.
• Monitor and evaluate opioidutilization, patient safety, and pain management metrics across the health system to support quality improvement, opioid stewardship, and evidence-based prescribing practices through development and maintenance of pain stewardship dashboard indicators.
• Develop andmaintaina pain stewardship dashboard tracking key performance indicators
• Design and conduct targeted Medication Use Evaluations (MUEs) for controlled substances and pain pharmacotherapy agents; present findings and recommendations to the System Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee.
• Contribute to organizational performance improvement by monitoring Medicare Core Measures relevant to pain management andidentifyingopportunities tooptimizeoutcomes and reduce prescribing variation.
• Develop and deliver educational programming — including in-services, newsletters, and online modules — for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and advanced practice providers on pain pharmacotherapy, opioid stewardship, and SUD treatment.
• Develop andfacilitatecompetency assessments in pain andaddictionpharmacotherapy for clinical pharmacists and pharmacy staff.
• Serve as a preceptor and mentor for pharmacy residents and students
• Participate as an appointed member of the System Pharmacy & Therapeutics Subcommittee and relevant hospital and health system committees supporting pain stewardship, substance use, and patient safety initiatives.

Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.