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Clinical Pharmacists
Our clinical pharmacists are integral members of an interdisciplinary team that include other medical professionals, patients and their families. this includes a multidisciplinary rounds process, inter-departmental in-services and patient education. Pharmacists provide extensive clinical services including drug therapy management of pharmacokinetics, parenteral nutrition, anticoagulation, renal dosing, parenteral conversion, and therapeutic drug monitoring. Pharmacists are part of the team monitoring patient progress, planning patient care, educating patients and caregivers, and participating in clinical research.
An ACPE-accredited CE program supports professional growth and development. There are a multitude of precepting opportunities available throughout the year as well. Clinical Pharmacists are required to be licensed with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. Please visit the Virginia Department of Health Professions Web site for licensure information.
Clinical Specialists
Clinical Specialists serve as clinical experts in specialty practice areas, such as critical care, internal medicine, emergency medicine, medication safety, drug information, and ambulatory care. Our clinical specialists also serve as a resource for the clinical pharmacists, as well as initiating and implementing improvements in clinical practice. Clinical leadership and mentoring experience along with a proven record of success in developing and implementing new programs are keys to success. Clinical specialist positions are created where the need for specialty knowledge, experience and clinical leadership exist, and require experience beyond the usual entry level clinical pharmacist.
Each site also has a Clinical Coordinator to provide formal clinical leadership to pharmacy team members, aiding the staff in planning project, managing outcomes, evaluating care, and integrating pharmacy services with other members of the health care team. Minimum qualifications include one year experience as a clinical specialist.
Clinical Specialists are required to be licensed with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. Please visit the Web site for licensure information.
New Graduates
Sentara is an ideal place to start your pharmacy career. Success for Sentara pharmacists is built on excellent customer service, relationships, teamwork, and communication skills. Clinical experience and/or residency training is beneficial, but Sentara presents a wealth of opportunities for learning, experience, and professional growth. The atmosphere provides a group practice with many experienced pharmacists, and offers many ways to develop and enhance your skills in an innovative environment.
New graduates must receive licensure within 90 days of hire and are paid as pharmacists during this time.
Our orientation program assesses each individual’s background and pairs you with an experienced mentor to guide your transition to independent practice. We ensure the new employee is comfortable with the distributive processes, our automated dispensing machines- Omnicell, and our computer system Epic. After gaining an understanding of the operations, a mentor will assess, teach, and document your clinical competencies before independently placing you in a patient care area. Orientation time varies, and depends on your experience and how quickly you demonstrate comfort in each area.
The interview process for spring/summer graduates begins in the fall with interview days at regional pharmacy schools and in December at ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. On-site interviews begin in January.
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians are required to be licensed with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. Please visit the web site for licensure information.
Home Infusion
Home infusion therapy is an exciting and unique practice setting for pharmacists. New and experienced pharmacists have the opportunity to become certified in home infusion pharmacy therapy, as a means of training and validating competency. Sentara Home Care Services is a safe and effective alternative to inpatient care for many disease states and therapies, and provides a full spectrum of home care services for patients of all ages. Our patients benefit at home from much of the same advanced technology that is available in Sentara hospitals.
Sentara Home Care Services offers high-tech, high-quality intravenous therapies administered by a registered nurse. Our home infusion pharmacists must be knowledgeable about issues that are unique to this practice setting such as extended drug stability and compatibility, and be familiar with a wide range of venous access devices. The referring physician, pharmacists, certified home infusion nurses, and dietitian collaboratively develop a plan of care that meets the patient’s home infusion needs. Our pharmacists provide extensive clinical services including: pharmacokinetic consultations and drug selection assistance, conversion assistance from oral/topical to IV/SC pain management, clinical patient monitoring and weekly case conferencing by pharmacists, nurses, and our Infusion Medical Director. Some of the home infusion therapies we provide include antibiotics, hydration, pain management, total parenteral nutrition, IV immune globulin, inotropes, transfusion of blood products, chemotherapy, and growth hormone.
Sentara Home Care Services coordinates patient care throughout the Greater Hampton Roads area including the Suffolk/Franklin area, the Peninsula, Williamsburg, and Northeastern North Carolina. Our infusion team is available to serve 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Home Infusion Therapists are required to be licensed with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. Please visit the web site for licensure information.
Long-term Care
Sentara Rx is Sentara Heathcare's long term care pharmacy. Sentara Rx provides pharmaceutical care to the Sentara Life Care Division of long-term care nursing centers (7), assisted living villages (3) and the PACE Senior Community Day Program.
Clinical pharmacists and technicians focused on geriatric pharmaceutical care provide specialized services for this growing and challenging population. Consultant pharmacists provide on-site drug monitoring and evaluations to improve pharmaceutical care. Clinical pharmacists from the pharmacy provide distribution and clinical services that include IV therapy dosing and therapeutic interchanges, disease state management, and drug information.
The pharmacy utilizes several patient safety technologies that includes bar code dispensing verification and medication images and imprints to help pharmacists and nurses identify correct medications for administration.
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians are required to be licensed with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. Please visit the Web site for licensure information.
Pharmacy Management
Pharmacy managers provide leadership at each site of care, with a central pharmacy director and managers for clinical services and operations. This management team collaborates on all issues affecting the system, meeting regularly to develop goals, plans, and strategies for advancing pharmaceutical care throughout the system. This workgroup is supported by an information technology team, drug information service, a medication safety pharmacist, and a statistician.
Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians are required to be licensed with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. Please visit the web site for licensure information.
Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy Technicians experience up to date technology utilizing automated dispensing devices (Pyxis) which are used to manage inventories and provide drug distribution throughout the hospital. Technicians receive thorough training in preparing IV admixtures. These include adult and neonatal TPN solutions, chemotherapy, IVIG, CVVHD solutions, antibiotics, etc. Technicians are taught to package unit dose tablets and liquids using high volume packaging equipment. All technicians receive instruction on preparing specialized baby formula for neonates.
Pharmacy Technicians are required to be licensed with the Virginia Board of Pharmacy. Please visit the web site for licensure information.