Clinical Staff Pharmacist - Virtual Pharmacist Care Center (VPCC)

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown L.A. and is the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the "Trojan Family," which is comprised of the faculty, students and staff that make the university what it is.

USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is accepting applications for a Clinical Staff Pharmacist with ambulatory care skills to provide medication management services for the Virtual Pharmacist Care Center (VPCC). The candidate will provide telephonic and/or video-telehealth services to various populations served through USC Mann partnerships. This includes a blend of Medication Therapy Management (MTM) and Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM) along with other patient care activities. The candidate may be involved with program development: program expansion and clinical training. The position utilizes high-definition two-way video and/or audio technology that closely simulates in-person care.

• MTM Essential Functions:
  • Medication Therapy Management (MTM)
    • Comprehensive Medication Review (CMR), including Medication Therapy Review (MTR), Personal Medication Record (PMR), Medication-related Action Plan (MAP), interventions/referrals, and proper documentation and follow-up of all encounters.
  • Other clinical pharmacy services aligned with population health priorities. Examples include medication adherence, statin initiation, alternative therapy and transitions of care. 

• CMM Essential Functions: Responsible for providing Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM) for common ambulatory care conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, asthma, COPD, thromboembolic disorders, heart failure, transitions of care, smoking cessation).
  • Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM)
    • Patient assessment, evaluation of medication therapy, identification of barriers to chronic disease control, and development and initiation of plan to overcome barriers including follow-up and medication monitoring.
    • Range of clinical practice privileges including initiating, adjusting, refilling or discontinuing medications, and ordering relevant tests
    • Ensure that patients understand the nature of their chronic conditions consequences and complications associated with poor control, and their treatment goals/targets
    • Counsel patients on medications (role/purpose, use, self-monitoring, etc.) and self-management/lifestyle changes, using patient engagement techniques such as motivational interviewing and shared decision-making
    • Use interviews, physical assessment skills and interpretation of test results to monitor for therapeutic, as well as adverse effects
    • Concisely document all patient encounters
    • Communicate clearly and confidently within interdisciplinary teams
    • Provide appropriate follow-up to ensure efficient and safe attainment of treatment goals
  • Develop & manage provider partnerships that are high-value to health plans. This includes but is not limited to fostering trusted relationships with providers/medical leadership/medical groups, attending meetings with physicians and staff to promote CMM services and provide updates/status/reporting, establishing Collaborative Practice Agreements (CPAs) with partnered providers, and supporting other pharmacy related needs/gaps for providers (e.g.  in-services).
  • Actively participate in and contribute to all CMM related meetings (e.g. management and planning meetings, 1:1s, training sessions, learning sessions, continuous quality improvement meetings)
  • Promptly respond to inquiries from health plans, CMM program staff and faculty, medical partners, and other key stakeholders.

The candidate will also be responsible for precepting, leading, and supervising APPE/IPPE students/intern pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy residents.

Secondary Functions:

• Reporting: Collect health outcome data and assemble routine reports to administrators, medical staff and other stakeholders

• Administrative Responsibilities
  • Provide stakeholder services by responding to inquiries and requests for information regarding specific program functions
  • Research and gather information for program purposes, which may include program effectiveness, stakeholder needs assessment, etc.
  • Program expansion and training to newly onboarded teammates

Required Qualifications:

• Current CA Registered Pharmacist License
• Comfortable communicating with patients via telephone and/or video technology
• Proficient in basic Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel
• Previous experience in providing and documenting medication management services

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience in precepting and teaching APPE/IPPE students/intern pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy residents
• Spanish fluency
• Fluency in additional languages
• Completion of a PGY1 residency in Ambulatory Care or Community Pharmacy Practice OR minimum of 3 years of clinical pharmacy experience

This position will have a direct report to the Director of Population Health.

1 year fixed-term, extendable

The hourly rate range for this position is $65.00 - $74.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree Minimum Experience: 1 year Minimum Field of Expertise: Degree from accredited (ACPE) school of pharmacy. Registered pharmacist in state of California. Hospital pharmacy experience. Familiarity with unit dose, IV admixtures and clinical pharmacy practice.