Welcome to our series on the plethora of careers in pharmacy. Dr. Christina Lombardi ’17 is a clinical oncology hematology pharmacist at St. Peter’s Health Partners.
How did you get into oncology pharmacy?
I did a rotation during my P4 year of pharmacy school. I did my rotation right here at St. Peter's Hospital, and I fell in love with oncology pharmacy.
I worked with a lot of patients, and then I pursued a residency in oncology after graduation.
Tell us what you do as an oncology pharmacist.
A big portion of my job is educating patients. I work with patients and their caregivers and speak with them on new and changing oncology treatment plans, specifically in regards to chemotherapy.
In our setting, we work with bulk oral medications that patients take at home by mouth as well as infusion medications, including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and different targeted medications.
It sounds like you are a critical part of the health care team.
I do believe we are a critical part of the cancer care team here. We are embedded right in the clinic, and we work closely with our physicians, nurses, mid-level providers, and our patients and caregivers.
What kind of student or young professional do you think would be well suited to this particular area of pharmacy as a career?
A pharmacy student that will be fitted well for oncology hematology pharmacy is a student that is motivated, compassionate and able to speak with patients, family members, providers and learn very quickly about all the new and changing medications that are coming out every day.
What recommendation would you give to such a student if they wanted to pursue this field?
Get involved during pharmacy school. Get involved and learn as much as you can in all areas of pharmacy. And for many oncology pharmacists, pursuing a residency is also very helpful.