Clinical Pharmacy Specialist I -Substance Use Disorder - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Penn Medicine is Seeking a Full time Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Substance Use Disorder/Complex Pain Management at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) will work at HUP (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania) and HUP Cedar to make recommendations to initiate, modify, or discontinue medication therapy and act as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management services for patients with substance use disorder (SUD) and complex pain. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic and most economical medication treatments; helping achieve positive patient centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams; recommending laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy; and completion of treatment plans and measurement-based care assessments. When appropriate, the CPS will work collaboratively with the psychiatry consultant teams and the pain management team.

Clinical - Direct Patient Care Responsibilities

· Acts as the care coordinator for patients with complex SUD in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team and any other consulting teams. Offers drug use monitoring and care coordination and supportive care recommendations.

· Supports primary care teams through direct and indirect consultation for patients with SUD and complex pain. This may be done in collaboration with the primary team, psychiatry consultation services, and pain team members as appropriate.

· Engages in motivational interviewing with patients to discuss goals related to pain and opioid dependence.

· Provides comprehensive medication management for patients with complex chronic diseases including opioid use disorder (OUD), alcohol use disorder, mental health disorders, and chronic pain.

· Designs, implements, and monitors therapeutic drug plans to achieve defined outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers through direct and indirect consultation.

· Helps achieve positive patient centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams.

· Determines if a referral is necessary when disease progression occurs, or adverse drug events require a higher level of treatment intervention.

· Provides medication education and implements risk mitigation strategies.

· Queries and documents PDMP (Prescription Drug Monitoring Program) information.

· Provides overdose education and facilitates naloxone prescribing.

· Evaluates appropriateness of medication treatment and collaborates with providers for buprenorphine and/or methadone medication management and discharge prescription or outpatient clinic follow up.

· Communicates with team for next steps and coordination of care which may include referral to the OUD Warm Line, collaboration with the CORE team, and ensuring needed appointments are scheduled, triaging unscheduled visits, and facilitating urgent appointments with provider team members when necessary.

Additional Clinical Responsibilities

· Provides pharmacokinetic consultation for individual drugs as applicable.

· Recommends formulary alternatives, assists with non-formulary consults, reviews/evaluates requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable.

· Serves as an authority on drug usage, interactions, over-dosages, and compliance to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians, residents, and students. Uses appropriate references to research drug information.

· Promotes rational substance use disorder and pain management strategies utilizing current resources.

· Supports development and maintenance of hospital and health system protocols for substance use disorder and pain management.

· Collaborates with outpatient and ambulatory care providers to decrease risk of an OUD/SUD exacerbation after discharge.

· Collaborates with behavioral health services at HUP and HUP Cedar as an expert in SUDs and complex pain to identify quality improvement initiatives and promote evidence-based care for these populations.

· Advocates for the safe and appropriate use of long acting injectables (e.g., Vivitrol, Sublocade).

· Facilitates effective care transition to appropriate ambulatory services for treatment of substance use disorders.

· Serves as a primary preceptor for pharmacy residents of PGY-1 (Post Graduate Year 1) and PGY-2 (Post Graduate Year 2) pharmacy practice and specialty practice programs.

· Provides formal and informal education to students, residents, and other healthcare practitioners on inpatient teams including, but not limited to, psychiatry and pain teams, on pharmacologic management of OUD and pain

· Serves as a leader and expert in SUDs on various hospital and health-system committees.

 Credentials: