The Veterans Affairs Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS) is a Level 1c facility in the VA serving the VA Sierra Pacific Network (VISN 21). The VASNHCS offers a full range of comprehensive health care services including Dentistry, Geriatrics and Extended Care, Imaging, Medicine Services, Mental Health Services, Pathology and Laboratory, Primary Care, Rehabilitation Services, Specialty Services, and Surgery.

Duties

The VASNHCS offers several special medical programs to include Centers of Specialized Expertise, Home Health, Homeless Veteran Programs, Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Pharmacy, Spinal Cord Injury, Telehealth, and Women's Health. The VASNHCS operates four community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) covering twenty counties in Northeastern California and Northern Nevada. These outpatient clinics are in Susanville, CA, Carson Valley, NV, Fallon, NV, and Winnemucca, NV. This position reports to the Associate Chief of Clinical Services, Pharmacy Service, at VASNHCS. Functions/ Scope: A. Clinical - Direct Patient Care Activities 1. Practices as an advanced practice provider for comprehensive medication management services for the assigned area and functions at the highest level of their 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. 2. Functions as part of the interdisciplinary team to provide CMM for Outpatient Mental Health, Inpatient Mental Health, and PCMHI clinics, which may include but is not limited to: Prescribes, monitors and adjusts medications under a scope of practice Obtains pertinent medical history and obtains accurate medication-related history from patient and via chart review Orders, monitors, and interprets toxicology screens and other needed labs; implements follow-up on treatment actions as supported by lab interpretations 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. Identifies 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. Performs risk assessments, including suicide screens, when indicated Educates patients on the proper use and care of their medications and related medical devices Provides patient and/or caregiver instructions and education i. Determines if referral to a provider is necessary based on disease progression, complexity, unstable disease states, or other events occur that require higher level of care Address other care needs and refers patients to other services for other needed care, as deemed appropriate (e.g., primary care, specialty care) Communicates with team for next steps and coordination of care, when necessary 3. Performs limited external physical assessment and performs medication reconciliation in alignment with established policies or procedures B. Clinical - Indirect Patient Care Activities 1. Reviews patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes as required. Communicates findings with prescribers and provides appropriate recommendations for alternatives to current treatment plans as needed 2. Monitors and reports drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues. Documents findings per facility procedures and in accordance with the VAADERS Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting program 3. Reviews relevant population management dashboards to identify patients who may benefit from engagement in care, medication oversight or optimization, and/or risk assessments; and meet performance goals as determined by national, VISN, or local facility. 4. Provides consultative services, recommendations, and drug information to healthcare teams and works with providers to ensure compliance with national, VISN, and local initiatives. 5. Participates in clinical team and multidisciplinary meetings. 6. Serves as an authoritative information source on medications and their utilization in therapy. Uses appropriate drug information resources and evaluates drug literature by analysis of experimental design and methodology. 7. Documents clinical interventions and patient care encounters in the electronic health record in a timely and professional manner as appropriate. VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Work Schedule: 0730-1600; Monday to Friday Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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.) [TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION] (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). [YOU MUST SUBMIT COPY OF FPGEC CERTIFICATION WITH THE APPLICATION PACKAGE] 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. [YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF CURRENT LICENSE WITH THE APPLICATION PACKAGE]. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d) 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:GS-13 Preferred Experience: Completion of a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency and 2+ years clinical experience; OR Completion of a PGY-2 Mental Health/Psychiatry Residency Clinical Pharmacy Specialist : Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. 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. 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. VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT): VHA HPTs pending the completion of education or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. NOTE: This applies to current/past/upcoming VHA HPTs only. An HPT is an individual appointed to a temporary position in one or more VHA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experiences to satisfy program or degree requirements or receiving VA Health Professional Scholarship Program. HPTs can be either VA-paid or Without Compensation (WOC). References: VA Handbook 5005/55, Appendix G15. VA Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard GS-660, dated June 7, 2012. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: The work requires standing, light carrying and lifting (under 15 pounds); walking, bending, reaching above the shoulder, and ability to distinguish basic colors. The work also involves working around machinery with moving parts and working closely with others.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System 975 Kirman Avenue Reno, NV 89502 US
• Name: Lizbeth Torres
• Phone: (415) 221-4810 X24760
• Email: [email protected]