The Role of Clinical Pharmacists – Best Practices and Early Execution

Andrew Willeford, PharmD, PhD, BCCP, and Laura Velazquez, PharmD, PhC, BCACP, will discuss the integral role of the clinical pharmacist—rather than just the specialty pharmacist—in the operational success of a health system's obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (oHCM) program, particularly in reducing physician burden. Best practices involve rigorous screening for drug-drug interactions, with a specific focus on CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 pathways, and ensuring that patients are genotyped to identify poor metabolizers who require lower starting doses. This portion of the discussion highlights how clinical pharmacists drive the standard of care through multidisciplinary partnerships, meticulous counseling on both prescription and OTC interactions, and the proactive management of insurance appeals to prevent delays in therapy.