Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist)

Full Job Description

This 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.

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, Illinois 60602-5109; 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.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment in paragraph 2, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-13 (a) Experience.

In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. (b) Assignments.

Candidates at this grade level are to be in one of the assignments listed below.

For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

1. Clinical Pharmacy Specialist.

The clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their scope of practice as defined by the individual medical center to directly care for patients.

A CPS plays a defined role in budgetary execution and serves as a mid-level provider who functions to initiate, modify or discontinue medication therapy and as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management services.

This includes, but is not limited to, the following: designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic and most economical medication treatments; helping achieve positive patient centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams in assigned areas; performing physical assessments; and ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy.

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs: a. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. b.

Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area. c.

Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise. d.

Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy. e.

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

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Major Duties:

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws FUNCTIONS OR SCOPES OF PRACTICE Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) - 100% Direct Patient Care (Scope of Practice Required) Comprehensive Medication Management & Panel-Based Care - Initiates, modifies, and discontinues medication therapy to achieve evidence-based therapeutic goals for Veterans with acute and chronic disease states.

- Manages chronic diseases including, but not limited to, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart failure, anticoagulation and weight management through longitudinal care.

- Performs comprehensive medication reviews to optimize efficacy, safety, adherence, and cost-effectiveness of therapy.

- Identifies, resolves, and documents medication-related problems, including adherence, polypharmacy and high-risk medication use.

- Provides timely follow-up and continuity of care through in-person, telephone, and virtual care modalities.

- Maintains accountability for assigned patient panel outcomes, access to care, and overall disease state management.

Access & Same-Day Care Support - Provides same-day and urgent medication management support as part of PACT operations to improve access to care when required.

- Addresses acute medication needs, bridging therapy, and care gaps to prevent delays in treatment. - Supports coverage needs across PACT teams based on operational demand and staffing considerations.

Population Health & Performance Improvement - Identifies and manages patients with gaps in care using population health tools, dashboards, and data-driven approaches.

- Actively contributes to improvement in SAIL and other performance metrics related to chronic disease management.

- Conducts targeted interventions for high-risk populations and Veterans with uncontrolled disease states. - Supports transitions of care and continuity of care programs when needed.

- Supports medication optimization initiatives aligned with national, VISN, and local priorities.

Disease State Specialization & Programmatic Roles - May pursue and maintain disease state specialization aligned with PACT needs, including but not limited to diabetes, anticoagulation, cardiology, men's/women's health, weight loss, or pulmonology.

- May serve in programmatic or ancillary roles including antimicrobial stewardship, pharmacogenomics, hepatitis C (Hep-C), HIV, or other specialty care initiatives.

- Contributes to the development, implementation, and optimization of clinical programs supporting Veteran care and system priorities.

- Supports expansion of CPS practice through advanced scope utilization and specialty care delivery.

Care Coordination & Interdisciplinary Collaboration - Collaborates with primary care providers, nurses, and interdisciplinary team members to develop and implement patient-centered care plans.

- Coordinates transitions of care and ensures medication continuity across care settings.

- Communicates clinical recommendations and care plans clearly and effectively within the electronic health record. - Serves as a medication expert and resource for the PACT team.

Medication Safety & Clinical Oversight - Monitors for adverse drug events, drug interactions, and medication-related risks to ensure safe and effective medication use.

- Documents and reports adverse drug events in accordance with VA policy and regulatory requirements.

- Promotes adherence to formulary management, medication use policies, and patient safety initiatives.

Expanded Prescribing Authority & Coverage Responsibilities - May be required to obtain and maintain an active DEA registration to support prescribing of controlled substances within scope of practice.

- May provide controlled substance prescribing, monitoring, and management in accordance with scope, DEA regulations, and VA policy.

- May provide cross-coverage support for other clinical programs based on staffing and operational needs.

- May participate in expanded coverage models, including potential support for RRTP admissions, on-call coverage, direct patient scheduling, or other facility-based clinical needs.

Work Schedule: 0800-1630 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Recruitment or Relocation Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact V20CompensationTeam@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized