Tanvi Jani, PhD, MS

At the University Hospitals in Cleveland, OH, Clinical Staff Pharmacist Dr. Tanvi Jani is making a difference in the lives of patients and their families every day. As Pharmacy Operations Manager for outpatient services, she works closely with your care team to ensure a smooth transition from the hospital to home.

“I like to say that when you’re my patient, you’re happy to see me. Because it means you’re getting ready to go home. I work with physicians to make sure the prescriptions you’re taking home are correct, are filled correctly, and you understand how to take them. Pharmacists do a lot more than dispense medications.”

Pharmacists do a lot more than dispense medications.”

Dr. Jani is especially proud of her work with her natal and pediatric patients. She understands the added stress parents have when their children are sick, so she makes it as easy as possible to give children medication.

“We prepare medications for these little kids who cannot take tablets or whose doses are so small that it cannot be done at a commercial pharmacy. We are super vigilant about everything that we do, even down to the syringes that we dispense along with the medication. If your child’s dose is 2ml, I won’t give you more than 3ml syringe to help you avoid accidentally giving too much.”

Dr. Jani also checks in on patients after discharge to support any who have questions.

“We’ll call every 10 days to 15 days to double check how all your medications are working. If it’s your child, I’ll check to make sure there hasn’t been a weight change, and if there is, I will immediately start work to adjust the dosage to ensure the medication is as safe and effective for your child as possible.”

But like many hospital and health-system pharmacists, Dr. Jani’s follow-ups go beyond treatment effectiveness and safety. She also makes sure the families are secure in their ability to follow through on treatment. Especially, when it comes to financial strains.

“Say your child was just diagnosed with diabetes, and you discover that your copay is through the roof. I want you to share that information with me. I’ve worked with several patients to find alternatives, or options that fit their situation. If you have concerns or issues, I want you to reach out, because I want you to have the best outcome.”

If you have concerns or issues, I want you to reach out, because I want you to have the best outcome.”

That’s what Dr. Jani wants patients to understand – hospital and health-system pharmacists want you to have the best possible outcome of your treatment. She takes a personal interest in you, she worries about you, and she celebrates with you. Dr. Jani is in your corner even when you’re overwhelmed.

“I had a patient who just kept coming back into the hospital. She would come in, be treated, get a treatment plan, we’d talk her and her mother through it, discharge her and a month later she’d be back. So, I checked with her pharmacy, no one had been picking up the medicine. So, I set up a whole plan to have the medicine delivered to her home. I verified, I checked, to make sure nothing was missed. I followed up with mom to make sure she understood how to give the medicine and was administering it correctly. And it worked, the girl was getting her medications and it was making an impact. It’s been two years, and she hasn’t been back in the hospital.”

And to Dr. Jani, that’s what it means to make a difference in someone’s life and what it means to be your pharmacist.