The Mid shift/Evening Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) will be assigned to centralized staffing duties within the Inpatient Pharmacy. The CPS will primarily staff during mid-shift hours (8-hour shifts starting hourly from 10:00 to 13:00) and will be expected to be the first backup to cover evening (15:00-23:30) and midnight (19:30-07:30 or 20:30-07:30) tours of duty when needed/requested.

Duties

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNED DUTIES: The CPS is responsible for provision of pharmaceutical care in the Inpatient Pharmacy setting - order review and verification, dispensing and distribution, inventory management, sterile and nonsterile compounding, oversight of technicians, providing pharmacotherapeutics services that include advising the medical services on matters pertaining to drug therapy, and participating in the development and delivery of continuing education programs for pharmacy staff, pharmacy residents, pharmacy students, patient care services, and medical staff. The CPS will also assist with outpatient-related duties as requested after-hours when the Outpatient Pharmacy is closed - prescription review/verification, dispensing, patient requests, discharges, etc. MEDICATION DISPENSING AND DISTRIBUTION: Performs inpatient/outpatient electronic order assessment to verify patient information, correct medication dose, route, frequency, and duration of administration. Orders are also reviewed for allergies, drug interactions, incompatibilities, duplication, and appropriateness of drug choice. Identifies, interprets, and resolves prescribing and dispensing issues; provides pharmacotherapeutic analyses and medication reconciliation upon admission. Interventions documented when appropriate. Dispenses controlled substances for inpatients and outpatients with accuracy, per current policies and procedures of the institution. Ensures compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations. Coordinates activities of pharmacy technicians and/or volunteers engaged in the preparation, labeling, dispensing, compounding, and delivery of medications and/or pharmaceutical supplies. Maintains a liaison relationship with medical and nursing staff by providing timely information pertaining to pharmaceutical supplies, medication usage, and compatibility information. Conducts and evaluates medication histories; assesses compliance; and suggests pharmacotherapeutic modifications to achieve desired outcomes and provide appropriate pharmaceutical care. Supervises and participates in the preparation and delivery of intravenous medications. CLINICAL FUNCTIONS: Participates in physician collaboration/education; provides drug information, assesses patient response to therapy, and provides appropriate recommendations for treatment/alternatives. Offers interventions to maximize patient care outcomes, considering choice of therapy, safety, efficacy, and cost. Evaluates patients upon inpatient admission for medication reconciliation and appropriateness of pharmacologic therapy. Documents all therapeutic related recommendations pertaining to patient care in a pharmacy admission note as necessary. Provides drug information and consulting services to all professional staff regarding therapy. Identifies any drug-related problems such as allergies, toxicities, adverse reactions, improper dose regimen, noncompliance, etc. Reviews patients on anticoagulation admitted on an inpatient medical floor. Discusses concerns with the prescribing physician regarding changes in therapy and lab value interpretation. Documents clinical recommendations in an anticoagulation note as necessary. Reviews patients on aminoglycosides and/or vancomycin. Determines dosage, frequency, schedule, and appropriate monitoring levels. Documents clinical recommendations in clinical notes as necessary. Reviews and responds to all prior authorization drug requests within the required timeframe, utilizing the current criteria. Participates as a member of the Code Blue team providing clinical expertise in drug management. Proactively evaluates and recommends appropriate antibiotic stewardship measures. Reviews chemotherapy orders/prior authorization drug requests for dosage, frequency, cycle, and appropriateness of therapy based on cancer type, laboratory values, and other monitoring parameters as indicated (in the absence of the primary oncology pharmacist). Reviews and responds to all prior authorization drug requests within the required timeframe, utilizing the current criteria. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 11am-7:30pm or 12pm -8:30pm. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Education: 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.) OR 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 above, applicants must meet the following grade requirements. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE FOR GS-12 LEVEL: You must have one year of directly related experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or, Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. GS-12 Requirements: In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must met the following grade requirements. 1. Knowledge of Professional Pharmacy Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with professional pharmacy practice. Professional practices means paid/non-paid employment as a professional or unlicensed graduate pharmacist as defined by the appropriate licensing board. 2. Residency and Fellowship Training. Residency and fellowship training programs in a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for-year basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). A fellowship program that is not accredited by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) will need to have comparable standards for experience to be creditable. GS-12 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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/55, PART II, APPENDIX G15. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. There may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items.

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 Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 820 South Damen Avenue Chicago, IL 60612 US
• Name: James Marron
• Email: [email protected]