Pharmacy Specialist - Interventional Pain Clinic

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences•Little Rock, AR

21d

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) for Ambulatory Care – Pain Management will provide consultative assistance to providers and interdisciplinary teams regarding the safe, effective, and evidence-based use of analgesic medications. The CPS will manage and titrate adjuvant pain therapies, evaluate opioid regimens, and ensure compliance with UAMS, DEA, and state regulations regarding controlled substance prescribing and monitoring. The CPS will provide pharmacotherapy expertise in both chronic pain and opioid stewardship, including evaluation of urine drug screens, naloxone prescribing, and adherence to controlled substance agreements. The pharmacist will collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals to develop individualized care plans, make recommendations for opioid titrations and tapers, and identify and manage medication-related problems. Screening for opioid use disorder, depression, alcohol use disorder, and other comorbid conditions impacting pain will be a key part of the role. The Ambulatory Pain Management CPS will also serve as a preceptor for pharmacy learners, contribute to clinical protocol development, and achieve credentialed CPS status through the UAMS Medical Board Credentialing Committee within 6 months of employment.

Requirements

Graduate of an ACPE-accredited College of Pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy or BS Pharmacy Degree
PGY1 residency training OR 3 years of applicable experience (the dept can specify experience)
AR licensure or eligible for licensure - do not count intern experience

Responsibilities

Leads assigned patient service lines, clinical areas, and therapeutic programs
Facilitates pharmaceutical care services, direct patient care programs, and medication optimization for chronic pain management, ensuring alignment with evidence-based guidelines, regulatory requirements, and institutional policy
Designs and implements opioid stewardship and safety initiatives, including monitoring programs, compliance tracking, and provider education
Tracks and evaluates assigned pharmacy programs for operational, quality, and financial efficiency and routinely benchmarks against local and national best practices
Actively identifies practice-related issues that require evaluation and facilitate clinical research projects, quality improvement initiatives, or healthcare provider education as needed to advance practice
Assures pharmacy is an integral part of the interdisciplinary pain management team and facilitates enhancement and expansion of pharmacy services/programs
Delivers direct patient care and clinical practice in pain management
Provides comprehensive medication management under collaborative practice agreements for patients with chronic pain and related conditions
Participates in interdisciplinary pain management visits and collaborates with providers to ensure safe and effective pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment plans
Identifies high-risk patients (e.g., polypharmacy, high-dose opioid therapy, coexisting substance use disorder) and implements appropriate interventions to improve quality and safety
Makes evidence-based recommendations for opioid initiation, titration, tapering, and rotation, and for adjuvant and non-opioid therapies
Provides patient education on medication use, risk mitigation strategies, and expectations for therapy outcomes
Participates in the management of medical emergencies
Supports continuity of care through medication reconciliation, discharge counseling, and care coordination
Provides pharmaceutical services throughout the medical center
Maintains proficiency in medication ordering and documentation systems used for pain management and controlled substances
Provides accurate, safe, timely, and appropriate medication therapy based on patient age and needs
Completes critical patient monitoring and reviews patient profile/chart to identify, prevent, or mitigate drug-related problems, improper drug or dose selection, sub-therapeutic dosage, overdosage, adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, failure to receive drugs, untreated indications, medication use without an indication, and treatment failures
Communicates effectively and appropriately with healthcare providers and caregivers (physicians, nurses, etc.) and assures continuity of pharmaceutical care between shifts and among staff
Actively participates in stewardship activities and restricted medication programs
Ensures regulatory and safety compliance
Monitors and supports compliance with controlled substance agreements, urine drug screening protocols, naloxone co-prescribing, and documentation requirements
Ensures compliance with all applicable UAMS, DEA, and Arkansas Board of Pharmacy regulations regarding controlled substance prescribing and management
Tracks and reports outcomes and compliance metrics related to pain management and controlled substance use
Provides guidance to providers and staff on controlled substance policies and documentation standards
Contributes to ongoing opioid stewardship and quality improvement efforts
Facilitates experiential education and practice advancement
Maintains proficiency in preceptor roles and actively emulates education/mentorship skills
Develops student, resident, fellow, and staff training experiences/competencies and creates new relationships for teaching and training opportunities
Identifies, designs, and implements improvements in the medication-use system to advance patient safety, maximize therapeutic outcomes, or control costs
Performs other duties as assigned.