Career Path: Home Infusion Clinical Pharmacist – Council on Pharmacy Standards
CAREER SPOTLIGHT

Home Infusion Clinical Pharmacist

Deliver hospital-level intravenous therapies with expertise and compassion to patients in the comfort of their own homes.

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The Expert in Hospital-Level Care at Home

A Home Infusion Clinical Pharmacist is a highly skilled practitioner who manages complex parenteral (intravenous) therapies for patients outside of the hospital setting. This includes treatments like anti-infectives, parenteral nutrition (TPN), inotropes, and chemotherapy. They are experts in sterile compounding, pharmacokinetics, and the clinical management of patients with complex conditions who are stable enough to be treated at home.

As a home infusion specialist, you are the central hub of a multidisciplinary care team. You assess patients for therapy appropriateness, develop individualized care plans, oversee the sterile compounding process, and provide extensive education to patients and their caregivers on administering medications and managing infusion equipment. Your clinical monitoring and proactive problem-solving are essential for ensuring patient safety, preventing hospital readmissions, and allowing patients to maintain their quality of life.

Core Responsibilities

  • Patient Assessment & Care Planning

    Evaluating patient referrals, reviewing medical history and labs, and developing a comprehensive infusion care plan.

  • Sterile Compounding Oversight

    Ensuring all compounded sterile preparations (CSPs) are accurately and safely prepared according to USP <797> standards.

  • Patient Education & Monitoring

    Training patients and caregivers on infusion pump operation, sterile technique, and side effect management, while monitoring labs and patient progress.

  • Coordination of Care

    Collaborating closely with physicians, home health nurses, and dietitians to ensure seamless and integrated patient care.

Your Certification Pathway to Home Infusion Expertise

Mastery in this field requires validated, expert-level skills in both advanced clinical patient management and the technical science of sterile compounding. These certifications are the mark of a true home infusion specialist.

CHIP

Certified Home Infusion Pharmacist

The premier certification validating your comprehensive knowledge and expertise in the clinical and operational aspects of home infusion therapy.

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CSCP

Certified Sterile Compounding Pharmacist

Demonstrates your foundational mastery of sterile compounding principles and practice, essential for ensuring the safety of all infused medications.

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A Day in the Life

Your day is a fast-paced blend of clinical assessment, logistical coordination, and direct patient interaction.

Morning: Onboarding a New TPN Patient

You review a new referral for a patient needing total parenteral nutrition (TPN) at home. You analyze their labs, calculate their complete nutritional needs, formulate the TPN order, and coordinate the first delivery with the home health agency.

Mid-Day: Virtual Patient Counseling Session

You conduct a video call with a patient starting a 6-week course of IV antibiotics. You walk them through the process of connecting the infusion bag to their PICC line, programming the pump, and what to do if an alarm sounds.

Afternoon: Troubleshooting with a Home Health Nurse

A home health nurse calls you from a patient’s home; a dose of a pain medication appears to have crystallized in the IV tubing. You quickly assess the drug’s stability data, identify a compatibility issue, and provide instructions to the nurse and compounding pharmacy to resolve it.

Ready to Bring the Hospital Home?

This rewarding specialty allows you to practice at the top of your license, managing clinically complex patients and giving them the freedom to heal in their own environment.

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