The Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP), Primary Care Service - Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) is expected to work closely with all members in the VA Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS) and will receive program direction and guidance from the team's leadership, i.e., Associate Chief of Pharmacy, Chief of Primary Care, and/or Medical Director.

Duties

The Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner functions at the highest level of clinical practice, working independently under their individual scope of practice to directly care for patients. The CPP functions as a member of their assigned team(s) and serves as an advanced practice provider 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. Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties: The principal area of involvement for the incumbent is consulting with their team(s) for comprehensive medication management of complex patients with chronic diseases commonly seen in the primary care setting. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following areas: Clinical - Direct Patient Care Activities that require a scope of practice: Core functions include face-to-face and telephone encounters with referred patients for comprehensive medication management in practice areas identified in their individual scope of practice. Functions as a mid-level provider to design, implement, and monitor therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas. Orders, performs, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy. Follows up with patients on lab or test results to discuss the plan of therapy, i.e., changes in medication therapy, monitoring, and additional testing requirements. Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners will determine if a referral to the physician is necessary when disease progression occurs, or adverse drug events require treatment interventions outside of the CPP scope of practice. Serves as liaison with Pharmacy Service, Outpatient Clinics in general, Mather inpatient staff, Community Living Center/Center for Rehabilitation and Extended Care (CLC/CREC), Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) and other related areas in order to improve communication, solve problems, and maintain continuity of care throughout VANCHCS. Clinical - Indirect Patient Care Activities: Identify patients who may benefit from comprehensive medication management through population management reports and during team huddles. Review 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 alternatives to current treatment plans as needed. Monitor and report drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues. Documents findings per facility procedures. Apply knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care, recognizes significant abnormalities, and makes dose adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings. Reviews and evaluates requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable. Assists Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee with medication use evaluations and other safety initiatives. Promotes and monitors compliance for established drug therapy policies. Works with providers to ensure compliance with national, VISN, and local initiatives. Education and Research: Participates in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other staff on assigned teams. Serves as preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents in accordance with established policies. Assists in new employee orientation, competency assessments, and mentoring as required. Drug Information: Serves as an authority on drug usage, interactions, over-dosages, and compliance to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians, and students. Uses appropriate references to research drug information. Maintains a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management. VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 0800-1630 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Telework: Eligible 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: U.S. citizenship. Non-citizens may 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. (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 A COPY OF FPGEE AND TOEFL WITH YOUR APPLICATION] NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.)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. [YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF CURRENT LICENSE WITH THE APPLICATION PACKAGE]. 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). 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment stated above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Preferred Experience: Candidates for the PACT Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) should possess the outlined skills with specific experience in the area of primary care chronic disease management. Candidates should have recent experience in a current or previous job (including residency training) that includes direct patient care and comprehensive medication management responsibilities in the Primary Care setting. Preferred candidates will have an advanced pharmacy degree (Pharm. D), board certification (BPS), PGY1 and/or PGY2 Pharmacy Practice Residency, or equivalent experience or mentorship. GS-13 Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner - PACT (a) Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following: 1. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS12) or 2. Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. (b) Assignments. Pharmacy Supervisor. Responsible for the professional and administrative management of an assigned area in pharmacy service, to include budgetary execution. Such individuals have responsibilities for supervising multiple pharmacists and technicians. Manages people, maintains effective interdepartmental relations, and cooperates with other services to accomplish the medical facility's mission and goals. Develops performance standards, assures that the program area is compliant with all regulatory and accrediting body requirements, designs and implements orientation and training programs for staff, and develops and maintains systems to monitor the performance of staff activities. Develops policies and procedures relative to their assigned area. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs): a. Ability to effectively supervise subordinate staff. b. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. c. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards pertaining to pharmacy. d. Skill in managing people or programs. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15, dated June 7, 2012, VA Pharmacist Qualification Standards, GS-660. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: The position requires visual and auditory acuity at a level to provide safe and effective care. Use and function of all normal motor and sensory anatomy for provision of patient care, reading, writing, listening, observing/seeing, heavy lifting, bending, pulling, pushing, stooping, squatting, walking, standing, use of fine motor muscles. In an eight-hour day, must be able to sit for 3 hours, stand for 3 hours, and walk for 1 hour. The position also requires ability to work on computers for extended periods of time. Requires use of hands for actions such as typing, simple grasping, fine manipulation, and repetitive actions. Requires the ability to frequently respond to multiple demands and priorities; emotional intelligence to respond to stressful and/or emergent situations and crises appropriately and calmly; self-care skills to maintain physical, psychological, and emotional health. Heavy lifting of 35 pounds and over, heavy carrying of 35 pounds and over, straight pulling, pushing, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking, standing, kneeling, repeated bending, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. Has potential for exposure to infectious diseases, hazardous waste and chemicals.

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 Northern California Health Care System 10535 Hospital Way Mather, CA 95655 US
• Name: Lizbeth Torres
• Phone: (415) 221-4810 X24760
• Email: [email protected]