Are you working with a highly qualified consultant pharmacist? Anyone can call themselves a consultant, but not everyone is expert in their field or the services they provide. Your consultant pharmacist may be your company’s greatest asset…or a potential liability. Below are seven questions to help you decide which one you have.
According to both state and federal agencies, the need for highly qualified and specialized pharmacy consultants has increased in recent years. Healthcare facilities are encouraged to use independently licensed consultant pharmacists by both licensing and accrediting agencies, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC), The Joint Commission (JC) and individual states licensing bodies. Massachusetts, for example, also provides guidance on Choosing a Pharmacy Consultant.
Consultant pharmacists generally specialize in one of the following four categories: Regulatory, Quality, Technical, or Clinical. At OctariusRx our expertise spans all four, which benefits our diverse business partners.
Use the following seven questions as a starting point to determine if your consultant pharmacist is your greatest asset or a potential liability. To save you the trouble of asking us, we’ve provided our answers below.
1. How long has the consultant been working in a specialized area?
I have over 20 years or pharmacy consulting experience with expertise in ambulatory healthcare facilities/surgery centers, long-term care facilities, and individual patients and physicians.
2. What is the consultant’s current level of knowledge and what professional degrees and continuing education credits have they earned in their specialized field of consulting?
I earned both my Bachelor’s and Doctoral degrees with honors from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. I am a nationally Board-Certified Geriatric Pharmacist and participate in extensive continuing education programs on an annual basis.
3. Which professional organizations is the consultant a current member of?
I am an active member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists and a Fellow of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists.
4. What applicable licenses does the consultant have?
I am licensed in multiple states. For a complete list of states, please contact us.
5. Has the consultant published any articles in professional or clinical practice journals?
I am a published author in peer-reviewed journals. For a complete list, please contact us.
6. Will the consultant provide a list of previous or current clients one can reference?
We have a long list of happy business partners. Visit our testimonials page to read some of the feedback we’ve received. We can provide additional references upon request.
7. Has the consultant ever given any professional presentations specific to the area of interest?
I have been a featured speaker at various industry conferences in addition to small group presentations, including continuing education programs. Please reach out if you’d like me to present to your group.
These seven questions are only the beginning. The best consultant pharmacists are great communicators and provide comprehensive value-added services such as regulatory and clinical updates between visits, opportunities for cost savings, help dealing with drug shortages and benchmarking reports. Finally, you should review costs compared to the value received. Someone will always be willing to provide a service at bargain prices, but is that service an asset or a liability to your organization?
We pride ourselves on providing exceptional services that enhance patient safety, reduce risks and help our partners achieve survey success. If you’d like more information about how we can help you, contact us for a free consultation.
The Consultant Pharmacists at OctariusRx provide guidance on safe medication management, survey readiness and cost savings to ambulatory healthcare facilities/surgery centers, senior care facilities and pharmacies We also help individual patients optimize their medications to improve their quality of life and save money. Contact us for assistance.
