Suzanne Kluge

My career began after earning my Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Several years later I obtained certification as a Sterile Compounding Pharmacist from Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) and a master’s degree in business administration from University of Dayton. While beginning my career in the hospital and community care areas I transitioned a few years later into the home infusion setting. I have held several positions at Option Care Health from clinical pharmacist to area clinical director and am currently the corporate director of clinical education. Learning is a life-long passion, and I love to train new pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in sterile compounding, home infusion therapies and patient care.

Currently I oversee all pharmacy training, including pharmacists, technicians, and leadership. I precept for eight schools of pharmacy and am a preceptor for the Option Care PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program which includes eight residents.

Describe the facility where you work:
Option Care Health (OCH) is the largest independent provider of infusion therapy services in the nation giving patients access to a system for flexibility, travel, and site-of-care options. OCH meets our patients’ comprehensive needs with our broad portfolio in the home or ambulatory infusion suites while offering the most extensive payer coverage with more than 96% of insured lives. The extraordinary team of highly skilled professionals are committed to quality and exceptional patient care. OCH provides a seamless experience for the patient by simplifying their care journey. For over 40 years, they have delivered cutting-edge infusion medications, nursing support and seamless transitional care for patients of all ages in their homes and at conveniently located infusion suites. On an annual basis, Option Care Health treats over 265,000 patients and on any given day, an average of 60,000 patients are serviced.

Recent significant projects:
Over the years I have been involved in many large projects and most recently transitioned an in-person training to an all-virtual training and went from one clinical training track to seven different tracks, which include pharmacy, pharmacist, nursing, dietitian, pharmacy leadership, nurse leadership, and warehouse.

Another favorite project included implementation of a new ambulatory smart pump at our organization. The project included development of a library, piloting the pump, and implementation of the new pump at three of our locations across the country. The project involved several team members along with the vendor to provide training, develop programs for the library and working with IT to make sure the process was seamless.

Annually, I oversee the annual in-service program to ensure compliance with education required by accrediting bodies, state boards of pharmacy and nursing. It is essential that our annual education meets all the standards and regulations for Option Care Health to maintain accreditation.

Initial involvement in ASHP:
My first involvement in ASHP was simply by attending meetings. Then, further in my career, became a preceptor for the residency program and eventually the Director of the PGY1 program at her organization. Next, I started volunteering for committees and applied for leadership positions within committees. Currently, I serve on the Section of Ambulatory Care Practitioners Advisory Group (SAG) for Clinical Practice Advancement and have been on the committee for two years. Previously, I served on the SAG for Home Infusion for seven years. I also participate in local ASHP state chapters for Illinois and Florida. For both states I serve on the education committees.

Why did you become involved in ASHP?
ASHP is an important organization and partner to forward the pharmacy profession. ASHP helps elevate the profession and advocates for pharmacists throughout the country.

Advice for someone new to specialty area:
Learning home infusion takes time, commitment, and passion. Many pharmacists coming from other backgrounds are challenged by all the diverse needs from both our health care systems and local communities to service the home infusion patients. Pharmacists must be knowledgeable about beyond use dating, know what supplies are needed to infuse a medication, including which infusion pump and associated administration sets, but also know about the therapy itself, including monitoring parameters, adverse drug reactions and side effects.

Once the medication is compounded and supplies are ready to go, then the patient is sent a delivery with everything inside. Besides the first delivery, pharmacists have to check in on the patient each week, complete assessments, care plans and review laboratory results. It is comprehensive care of the patient and takes months to be proficient. We have a residency program, so that is a great way for new graduates to become involved in an extensive career in home infusion. Since Option Care Health is nationwide, pharmacists can move to other parts of the country but maintain their tenure and employment at the same company.

How would you explain the value of ASHP to a friend or colleague?
My colleagues can find partners for advocacy as well as patient care champions within ASHP. One is not alone in how they think or in their needs for the highest level of patient care. It is essential to find collaboration and solidarity in the organization and it can be found at ASHP. There are so many resources available for education, advocacy, expertise, and collaboration within the organization that participation is vital for true success.

What is the value of ASHP for the profession?
ASHP is very valuable to the profession of pharmacy and as a pharmacist, I genuinely believe that ASHP has made me more aware, more knowledgeable and a part of something bigger than me. It is a wonderful organization that is easy to take advantage of in your day-to-day life. ASHP is a strong proponent of advancing the profession as well as advocating for excellent patient care and creating leaders.