Published: July 31, 2024 - The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist ensures outbound calls are made to support pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and technicians in performing MTM, clinical, and quality program outreach while maintaining compliance with CMS, HIPAA, and Fraud Waste and Abuse regulations. The role involves auditing MTM and quality program processes for appropriate and compliant documentation, communicating effectively with the Clinical Pharmacy Team to resolve ongoing issues, and coordinating with vendors to drive timely results. Additionally, the specialist has expertise in medical claims is utilized to identify new opportunities for MTM and quality programs, generate detailed outcomes data, assist leadership with CMS auditing, and support the development of medication use criteria and quality management programs.


An Introduction to Professional Skills and Functions for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist with a Cover Letter
1. Roles for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Cover Letter
- Develop and maintain an area of clinical expertise in oncology providing clinical pharmacy services for patients and health care professionals in this practice area.
- Develop and present educational topics and staff development programs
- Participate in activities to enhance the pharmacy department’s professional and/or clinical services
- Develop medication protocols to optimize patient’s drug therapy
- Serve as a clinical resource to the health care team
- Design and deliver in-service education for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals regarding drug therapy.
- Use effective patient education techniques to provide counseling and education to patients and caregivers.
- Establish and maintain effective communication with pharmacy staff members, other healthcare disciplines, and patients providing drug information.
- Manage time efficiently to maintain high productivity of all Oncology & Infusion Pharmacy Services staff through oversight of daily operations.
- Assume the responsibilities of the Oncology Pharmacy Manager in his/her absence.
- Participate in hospital committees.
Skills: Clinical Expertise in Oncology, Educational Program Development, Medication Protocol Design, Clinical Resource Utilization, In-Service Education Delivery, Patient Education and Counseling, Effective Communication, Operational Management
2. Details for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Cover Letter
- Assist in the acquisition of non-formulary, compassionate use, and investigational medications.
- Design, recommend, monitor, and evaluate patient-specific pharmacotherapeutic regimens.
- Monitor patient drug therapy for patients in the clinical practice area to ensure efficacious, safe, and cost-effective drug therapy.
- Promote rational and economic drug use through professional interactions with the medical staff and medical staff committees.
- Maintain a clinical pharmacy rotation for students/residents.
- Participate in activities of the Residency Advisory Group.
- Support & mentor resident research and other scholarly activities.
- Document improvements in patient outcomes and cost containment efforts in the electronic medical record.
- Provide the Oncology Pharmacy Manager with a quarterly performance improvement report/graphs that depict the specialist's patient care activities.
- Participate in other performance improvement activities, by the Pharmacy Manager.
- Maintain policies and procedures related to clinical oncology pharmacy services.
- Maintain workload statistics and other productivity parameters to promote the success of the clinical oncology pharmacy services.
Skills: Pharmacotherapy Management, Clinical Drug Monitoring, Medication Acquisition, Professional Collaboration, Educational Rotation Management, Mentorship and Research Support, Performance Improvement Documentation, Policy and Procedure Maintenance
3. Functions for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Cover Letter
- Assist with the training of new employees and staff education.
- Assist in the development of, and support compliance with, a departmental budget.
- Doctorate Degree in Pharmacy and PGY2 in Oncology
- Significant Oncology Experience will be considered instead of PGY2 in Oncology.
- Provides pharmacokinetic consultation, obtains and uses appropriate laboratory data to evaluate drug medical selection and dosing, and communicates findings to health care practitioners.
- Evaluate patient response to drug therapy and submit for publication once every two years.
- Exhibits good patient outcomes by documenting interventions and conducting outcome studies/ evaluations regarding the clinical activities performed.
- Assists with the development of pathways, best practices, and guidelines for their assigned population.
- Educates staff, students, patients, health care providers, and other health care professionals.
- Mentors residents, students, and new staff to meet departmental goals.
- Responsible for overall patient care beyond the hospital visit, through all transitions of care.
- Accommodates the special needs of the organization by volunteering to do any work/task when staffing shortages occur in technical and non-technical areas due to inclement weather, electrical power outages, computer downtime, or other situations.
- Adapts behavior to the specific patient population, including but not limited to respect for privacy, method of introduction to the patient, adapting explanation of services or procedures to be performed, requesting permissions, and communication style.
Skills: Training and Staff Education, Budget Development and Compliance, Pharmacokinetic Consultation, Patient Response Evaluation, Clinical Pathways and Guidelines Development, Patient Education and Communication, Comprehensive Patient Care, Adaptability and Problem-Solving
4. Tasks for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Cover Letter
- Instructs and trains pharmacy residents and students
- Assist in overseeing and directing the clinical services provided by pharmacists.
- Act as a mentor to clinical pharmacists.
- Maintain required documentation for all activities and medication recommendations.
- Through collaboration with IT and analytics departments, develop and track the appropriate metrics to monitor the quality and effectiveness of MTM and quality programs.
- Develop and enhance current reporting metrics to provide continuous quality improvement efforts.
- Generate outcomes reporting using outreach activity reports and pharmacy/medical data for direct client deliverables.
- Collaboratively work with clients, providers, and pharmacists to ensure optimal pharmaceutical care.
- Maintains HIPAA standards and confidentiality of protected health information.
- Evaluate and incorporate clinical technical specifications from CMS, National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), and Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) regularly to ensure MTM and quality programs are being executed to the highest standard and in full compliance.
- Generate and enhance clinical outreach materials to maximize program results.
- Assist and participate in meeting company and department goals such as quality improvement activities.
Skills: Pharmacy Residency and Student Training, Clinical Services Oversight, Documentation Management, Metrics Development and Tracking, Quality Improvement Reporting, Client and Provider Collaboration, Regulatory Compliance, HIPAA Compliance
5. Expectations for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Cover Letter
- Ensure outbound calls are made and provide support to the pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and technicians performing MTM, clinical, and quality program outreach.
- Ensure the team is compliant with CMS requirements, HIPAA, and Fraud Waste and Abuse.
- Audit the MTM and quality program processes to ensure all documentation is appropriate and CMS-compliant.
- Communicate effectively with the Clinical Pharmacy Team to address any ongoing issues or problems.
- Coordinate with multiple vendors to drive results promptly.
- Utilize medical claims expertise to identify new areas of opportunity for MTM and quality programs.
- Generate detailed MTM and quality program outcomes data by analyzing pharmacy and medical data.
- Assist leadership with CMS auditing and HPMS contract submissions.
- Develops criteria for the appropriate use of medications.
- Supports clinical coordinators in developing protocol and MUE’s PI, for area of specialty.
- Collaborates in the design and implementation of quality management programs.
- Performing direct patient care under collaborative practice agreements and consultation services.
Skills: Regulatory Compliance, Process Auditing, Effective Communication, Vendor Coordination, Medical Claims Expertise, Data Analysis, CMS Auditing Support, Protocol Development
What Are the Qualifications and Requirements for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in a Cover Letter?
1. Education and Experience for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Cover Letter
- Experienced clinical pharmacist
- Demonstrated success in the fast-paced, high-intensity work environment
- Credentials in good standing with the Ontario College of Pharmacists (or provincial equivalent)
- Broad therapeutic foundation with skills in critical appraisal and the research and application of clinical evidence
- Demonstrated project management skills
- Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills
- Highly organized with high attention to detail
- Adjusts priorities and tasks according to shifting circumstances
- Experience working with order sets, clinical practice guidelines, or similar directive documents.
- Completion of a PGY -1 Residency in Pharmacy Practice and a minimum of one year experience in Oncology or completion of a PGY -2 Residency in Oncology
Qualifications: BS in Pharmacology with 3 years of Experience
2. Professional Background for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Cover Letter
- Pharmacist credentials from the Michigan Board of Pharmacy are obtained before the hire date or job transfer date.
- Board Certification for Specialty Area
- PGY-2 residency in pediatrics or PGY1 residency with experience in NICU Licensed to practice pharmacy in the State of Louisiana, or eligible for licensure
- Must have computer skills and dexterity required for data entry and retrieval of patient information.
- Must be proficient with Windows-style applications and keyboard.
- Effective verbal and written communication skills and the ability to present information clearly and professionally to varying levels of individuals throughout the patient care process.
- Strong leadership/teaching skills
- Knowledge of pharmacy benefits such as drug formularies with a general understanding of pharmacoeconomics
- Subject to a background/security investigation
- Ability to ensure optimal specialty medication use and patient outcomes
Qualifications: BS in Pharmacy with 6 years of Experience
3. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Cover Letter
- Must have completed a PGY-1 residency
- Prefer PGY-2 residency and equivalent Experience
- May substitute additional certification and/or applicable experience in addition to or instead of residency.
- Must be a Registered Pharmacist.
- Must be a Registered Pharmacist in the State of Texas within 90 days of hire.
- Must possess good oral and written communication skills.
- Must have proficient computer skills.
- Must possess knowledge of drugs, procedures, equipment, common disease states, and patient care monitoring within the assigned care areas.
- Must possess extensive mathematical skills and good organizational skills.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
Qualifications: BS in Biochemistry with 4 years of Experience
4. Accomplishments for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Cover Letter
- Passed the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) and become certified by the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Commission (FPGEC)
- Completion of a Specialty Pharmacy Residency in the area of specialty or equivalent health-system experience
- Two-year minimum experience working in the specialty area
- Meets ASHP residency preceptor criteria and has previous specialty pharmacy experience
- Knowledge and expertise in advanced pharmacy practice, specialty medication therapy management
- Specialty evidence-based medicine in an area appropriate for clinical assignments
- Knowledge of medications used in designated specialty, their indications, efficacy, safety, dosing, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, drug-drug interactions, and contraindications
- Ability to perform data monitoring and analysis, and utilize the results for the development and implementation of quality improvement projects
- Ability to plan, design, prioritize, implement, and work independently
- Ability to provide expertise, work collaboratively and communicate effectively with front-line healthcare staff (e.g., providers, nurses, pharmacists), data analysts, information technologists, leaders, patients, and other stakeholders across the continuum of care
Qualifications: BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences with 7 years of Experience
5. Key Qualifications for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Cover Letter
- PharmD with PGY-1 residency or pediatric hospital experience
- PGY-2 specialized residency training in pediatrics
- Board Certification in Pediatric Pharmacotherapy
- Knowledge and experience with pediatric drug distribution systems.
- Failure to do so may result in suspension pending termination.
- Associates who are not licensed in the state(s) of PA, or NJ must obtain licensure for those states within 6 months after the start date.
- Ability to work within an electronic medical record
- Excellent communication skills (verbal and written)
- Knowledge of Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams)
- An understanding of drug claims processing systems
- Associates who are not licensed in the state of DE at the time of hire must start the process for licensure and must obtain that DE licensure on or before the 90th day of employment.
Qualifications: BS in Biomedical Science with 5 years of Experience