Clinical Pharmacist- Inpatient

Full Job Description

Position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program.

You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application.

Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency.

Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

Education:(1) Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree.

Verification of approved degree programs may be obtained from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois60602-5109; phone: (312) 664-3575, or through their Web site at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/.(NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program.

Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.)(2) Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the graduate is able to provide proof of achieving the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Commission (FPGEC)Certification, which includes passing the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination(FPGEE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT).

Licensure. Full, current and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia.

The pharmacist must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full, current, and unrestricted licensure.

A pharmacist who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16.

NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C.

§ 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment.

This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.

(1) Exception. Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of38 U.S.C.

§ 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist.

For grade levels above the GS-11, the candidate must be licensed. Grandfathering Provision.

All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.

(2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

(3) If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations: GS-11 Pharmacist Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. (NOTE: See exception to licensure requirement in subparagraph 2c(1) above.) Assignment.

Pharmacists at this grade level serve in a developmental capacity. GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level) Experience or Education.

In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following:1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or2. Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.

Assignment. A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations.

These include, but are not limited to: reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacting providers as appropriate; documenting recommendations and interventions; providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies; taking health and medication histories; performing medication reconciliation; providing drug information; assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations; documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs); assisting in medical emergencies; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution.

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs): 1. Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice. 2.

Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff. 3.

Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security. 4.

Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency or the equivalent amount of inpatient pharmacy experience equal to 3 years.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Major Duties:

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Serves as a Clinical Pharmacist in the inpatient pharmacy.

The primary function of this position is to provide professional expertise in the preparation and dispensing of pharmaceuticals, monitoring the use of pharmaceuticals, and organizing and prioritizing this work.

Duties Include: Clinical 1) Provides timely responses to drug information requests from patient care providers and nurses.

2) Evaluates provider's orders for appropriateness of therapy, incompatibilities, side effects and interactions of drugs and drug products.

3) Appropriately interacts with the ordering provider or attending as needed.

4) Utilizes patient care information systems, such as the electronic health record (EHR), to obtain critical patient data elements and to document pertinent patient care issues.

5) Provides medication use counseling at time of patient encounter.

6) Counsel patients on drug-drug interactions, adverse effects, food-drug interactions, product availability, appropriate use of, and Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee and pharmacy policies, as appropriate.

7) Manages recalls and medication shortage situations by substituting alternate dosage strengths or products per facility policy.

8) Enters supply orders appropriate for patient care per facility policy.

9) Manages various actions, as appropriate, for medication orders to include flagging prescriptions, managing view alerts, and using procedures to prevent unintentional dispensing (i.e. hold and park).

10)Extends refills until next scheduled appointment under the provider's name per facility policy.

11)Interacts with and makes recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care.

12)Directly involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring of therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes by direct interactions with patients and providers.

13)Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record and/or to the provider.

14)Performs medication reconciliation including updating the medication profile to reflect an accurate, active list of VA and non-VA medications.

Dispensing 1) Responsible for verification and evaluation of licensed independent practitioners' medication orders/prescriptions and input of written orders, when applicable.

2) Selects, compounds, dispenses, and fills a range of drugs, including extemporaneous preparations, special formulations, ophthalmics, controlled substances, oncolytic agents, etc in inpatient and/or outpatient areas and follows appropriate quality assurance procedures as applicable.

3) Checks prescription orders for safety, accuracy, and appropriateness prior to dispensing. 4) Verifies and fills all orders in a timely fashion.

5) Oversees activities of support staff, including Pharmacy Technicians, and verifies accuracy of prescriptions as final check before dispensing to the patient.

6) Inputs medication allergy data when information provided by patient/caregiver/provider. 7) Enters non-VA medication data when information provided by patient and/or caregiver.

8) Ensures that drugs dispensed are completely and correctly labeled and packaged in full compliance with Federal rules and regulations.

9) Maintains an adequate knowledge of all automation and technology within the department.

Education and Training 1) Participates in the training and in-servicing of patients, nurses, providers, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, and other medical center personnel, as required.

2) Completes mandatory training timely, including electronic training via Talent Management System (TMS).

3) Effectively instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices.

4) Is skilled at using both written, verbal, and electronic communication techniques in teaching others. 5) May serve as a preceptor for pharmacy students.

6) Has a good working knowledge of information resources such as Micromedex, Clinical Pharmacology, AHFS Drug Information, Facts & Comparisons, or other relevant pharmaceutical references, both written and electronic.

7) Maintains a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management.

Work Schedule: Various tours of duty between 2:30pm to 11pm with alternating weekends/holidays per the needs of the service Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 71215F, 71220F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact V8_EDRP_Tampa@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized