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 InternetBased 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).

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.

English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Grade Determinations:(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 Preferred Experience: Completion of a PGY1 and PGY2 in relevant specialty area, or equivalent experience 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 The Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) works at the San Francisco VA and functions at the highest level of clinical practice and works under a scope of practice.

The CPS functions to initiate, modify, discontinue, and monitor medication therapy and acts as a consultant for medication therapy management services and supporting PACT.

This includes, but is not limited to: 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.

The CPS plays a defined role in meeting performance measures and budgetary execution.

The CPS is a people centric, evidenced-based and forward thinking leader who possesses exceptional communication skills, and has the knowledge, skills, and abilities in advanced clinical pharmacy practice.

Practices as the CPS for the assigned area at the highest level of approved scope of practice.

The CPS oversees pharmacotherapy to ensure that national treatment guidelines are being followed in addition to adherence to national formulary and local policies.

Interfaces with providers, including physicians, PAs, ARNPs in the design and continued evaluation of the Veteran's treatment regimen to achieve optimization of rational and cost-effective drug therapy.

Serves as an authoritative information source on medications and their utilization in therapy.

Evaluates drug literature by analysis of experimental design and methodology, in order to compare and contrast therapeutic regimens and roles for new drugs.

Recognizes patient presentation of signs, symptoms, laboratory tests and diagnoses, recognizes and lists important medical problems, disease states, symptoms or abnormal laboratory values that may necessitate altering the therapeutic regimen or which may be induced by drug therapy.

Establishes and expands the patient data base through interpreting the drug history, medical history, physical examination and ongoing patient specific monitoring of therapy, with documentation in the formal patient medical record.

Designs and documents a therapeutic regimen or plan, based on patient-specific information that includes establishing a therapeutic endpoint and stop criteria, electing an appropriate drug and related therapy, and establishing an appropriate dosage regimen.

Monitors, assesses and documents therapeutic and adverse effects of drug therapy (including drug interactions) through selection and evaluation of physical and laboratory parameters.

Provides consultation on selection of appropriate therapeutic regimens as a follow­-up of non-therapeutic drug concentrations obtained from ambulatory care.

Works to develop, upgrade, and disseminate acceptable criteria for use of formulary and non-formulary medications and other high cost items directed at employing cost effectiveness without compromising the quality of patient care.

Provides physicians and other providers a resource for discussion of medical problems requiring a pharmaceutical intervention.

Interviews each patient conducting a medication history and formulating a pharmaceutical care plan.

Identifies all drug related problems that may be affecting the patient, to include drug side effects, allergic reactions, toxicities, improper dosage regimens, non­compliance, patient's age, etc.

Makes recommendations to the provider for optimal management of drug-induced problems either verbally or in writing.

Evaluates the risk-benefit ratio of various therapeutic alternatives, develops a therapeutic plan utilizing the most efficacious, least toxic and most economical pharmacological treatment modalities available, and communicates plan.

Manages the medication of patients by writing orders for appropriate medications, etc., in the patients' medical records in consultation with provider.

Maintains current knowledge in chronic disease state management in accordance with published guidelines and generally recognized standards of care to include, but not limited to anticoagulation, hypertension, diabetes, smoking cessation, hyperlipidemia, hepatitis C, osteoporosis, chronic kidney disease, and pain management.

Provides medication reconciliation at all appropriate patient encounters and transitions of care. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm or as determined by supervisor.

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact v21ccoedrp@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.

Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized