Our “Together as One” series spotlights nurses, physicians, pharmacists and others who positively impact the lives of hospice patients and their families every day. Through the dedicated and compassionate work of these inspiring professionals, patients receive the high-quality care and attentive consideration they deserve. Together with innovative and responsive hospice partners, they create the network of support so essential to hospice care. We invite you to meet the people behind the mission—and see what one can do.
Kirk Davis, PharmD
Pharmacist-in-Charge
Vancouver, WA
How did you become interested in pharmacy?
I originally graduated in December 2008 with a BA in Economics. This was at the height of the Great Recession, limiting entry level career opportunities and causing me to reflect on the possibility of returning to school. I ultimately decided to pursue a doctor of pharmacy degree because the pharmacy field seemed stable and offered me a chance to study the hard sciences, which I had not had much opportunity to study while I was an undergraduate.
What are your favorite aspects of your job?
I enjoy working with the great staff at OnePoint and with all the hospice nurses. In my day-to-day interactions I can tell how much the staff at both the pharmacy and the hospices all care about patient comfort at end of life.
Have you had any particularly challenging patient cases?
In many ways hospice care is more straightforward than community pharmacy, which is where I worked prior to OnePoint. It is about maximizing a patient’s quality of life in his or her final days. Oftentimes the most challenging cases are those where the patient has limited available routes of administration and has challenging secondary health conditions.
Is being a pharmacist different from your expectations? If so, in what ways?
My pharmacy career has hewed quite close to my expectations and has proved very satisfactory. As is the case with most healthcare settings, I think the level of paperwork exceeded my expectations. But that is a small price to pay for being able to work as a pharmacist at OnePoint!
What drew you to a career with OnePoint Patient Care?
OnePoint deeply interested me because of the niche it occupies in the pharmacy world. Coming from community pharmacy I was not used to the brand of specialized, personal service that OnePoint provides and so I was excited to join the team.
Do you have any proudest professional moments?
I am most proud of taking a pharmacy manager position in community pharmacy just out of school. It was a risk taking such a position with limited experience but it helped pave the way to my current position at OnePoint.
What advice would you give to pharmacy students?
I would advise pharmacy students to be open to multiple career paths. I did not give hospice care or long term care very much consideration when I first began my PharmD program, but I am glad I have ended up here!
Has working in the hospice industry influenced how you think about death?