Hospice Pharmacist - Career Profile |
Career OverviewA hospice pharmacist must be a very compassionate and caring individual that is able to work with those patients that are terminally ill. Most hospice pharmacists have previous medical experience and are specially trained in emergency pain management and long-term pain management options using drug therapies.
A hospice pharmacist works within the hospice environment either as a part-time or full-time employee or consultant based on the size of the facility. Some larger centers have specialized hospice pharmacies that provide services to both patients and hospices in the area. Hospice pharmacists have extensive experience in working with controlled substances that are not often prescribed to individuals not terminally ill.
A hospice pharmacist must have a clear understanding of all legal guidelines and regulations in regards to dispensing controlled substances. In addition all additional record keeping and data entry for these controlled substances must be kept accurately and in a timely manner.
The hospice pharmacist may visit patients in the hospice or may simply work from prescriptions sent by the treating physicians. The hospice pharmacist must be very aware of dangers or symptoms of conflicts with various mediations or possible adverse reactions by patients to these powerful drugs.
Education of both medical staff and patients regarding these medications is an important role in the hospice pharmacist’s job. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and an ability to think creatively and problem solve possible complex drug combinations is a key element in this career.
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Career RequirementsMost hospice pharmacists have a Doctor in Pharmacy and have completed both the North American Pharmacists Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE).
The NAPLEX tests the pharmacist’s knowledge of medications and the MPJE test their legal understanding of the regulation of medication. Since hospice pharmacists work with controlled medications on a regular basis most states require the hospice pharmacist to have the MPJE.
In addition most hospice pharmacist attend regular seminars on pain management using drug therapies. They stay current on all practices regarding caring for terminally ill patients using drugs and drug therapies.
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Job OutlookThis is a very emotionally draining job for many hospice pharmacists, especially those that work directly with terminally ill patients. In addition to the high job turn over there is also the increasing demand for pharmacists in all sectors of the field.
These two factors continue to increase the demand for trained and qualified hospice pharmacist all across the United States. This trend is predicted to continue at least until the year 2014.
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Career TrackA hospice pharmacist may move into management of a pharmacy or may choose to enter one of the other areas of specialization such as:
- Hospital pharmacy
- Community pharmacy
- Clinical pharmacy
- Ambulatory pharmacy
Since many hospice pharmacist have extensive experience with controlled medications and substances they may also be very qualified to return to teaching in one of the many schools of pharmacy across the United States.
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CompensationThe average yearly salary for a hospice pharmacist is approximately $78,000 to $85,000 per year. The job often has long hours and may also have some shift work or emergency call out requirements. Often this is compensated over and above the standard salary.
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