This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

The primary responsibility of the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) in Mental Health is the provision of evidence-based pharmaceutical care services through both direct and indirect interaction with patients and providers. The CPS serves as a provider with prescriptive authority as outlined in the individual's Scope of Practice. The CPS functions as part of the Mental Health inpatient and outpatient teams, and is most effective when embedded within a team assigned to patients to support continuity of care. The CPS in Mental Health may also consult on patients with mental health and comprehensive medication management issues in the acute care or primary care settings, including anticoagulation. The CPS has full responsibility to develop necessary services such as physician consultation, patient monitoring, patient counseling and medication management clinics within the Mental Health setting. The CPS promotes and manages drug therapy based on current clinical knowledge that is consistent with policies established at the national, VISN, and local levels. The CPS in Mental Health: Serves as a physician extender/independent practitioner in a clinic or inpatient setting, requiring the highest level of pharmacist clinical privileges with minimal supervision. Principal responsibilities include pharmacotherapy management, provision of drug information services, and the development and supervision of pharmacy programs in Mental Health. Directly assists clinicians in rational drug selection by providing written and/or verbal consultation. Actively participates as a member of the Mental Health team to assist in monitoring patient's therapy as directly related to pharmaceutical care. Assures that all prescriptions and actions meet proper eligibility criteria on a patient specific basis and the National Formulary and Non-Formulary procedures are followed; this includes adherence to all national, VISN and local criteria for use treatment algorithms and guidelines. Participates in developing criteria for use, medication use evaluations, data collection for pertinent reports, and other quality assurance activities, as required, to ensure appropriate and safe drug utilization. Clinical Practice Practices as the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for the assigned team or specialty clinic. The CPS manages pharmacotherapy to ensure that treatment guidelines and appropriate medication monitoring recommendations are being followed, in addition to adherence to National Formulary and local policy. The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist will independently manage pharmacotherapy patients not at disease-state goal in his/her pharmacotherapy clinic, improving the clinic system efficiency and quality. Fully utilizes the highest level of clinical privileges for CPSs to manage assigned patients. With approved clinical privileges, assumes authority to direct therapy and order lab tests, as indicated, for appropriate patient monitoring. Authority to treat patients can be given either via consult, provider request, or locally approved policy for automatic consult. Interfaces with providers, including physicians, PAs, ARNPs in the design of the veteran's treatment regimen to achieve optimization of rational and cost-effective drug therapy. Serves as an authoritative information source on drugs and their utilization in therapy, with special emphasis on medications used in treatment of the assigned patients. Evaluates the drug literature by analysis of experimental design and methodology, in order to compare and contract therapeutic regimens and roles for new drugs, with a special emphasis in medications used in referred patients. Establishes and expands the patient data base through interpreting the drug history, medical history, allergies/adverse drug events, physical examination and ongoing patient specific monitoring of therapy, with documentation in the electronic medical record. Designs a therapeutic regimen or plan, based on patient-specific information that includes establishing a therapeutic endpoint, electing an appropriate drug and related therapy, and establishing an appropriate regimen and follow up. Monitors and assesses therapeutic and adverse effects of drug therapy (including drug interactions) through selection and evaluation of patient-specific and laboratory parameters. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 003587 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact Jamie Wunsch at [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Education. Pharmacists must be: 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 (http://www.acpe-accredit.org/), 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. All applicants must possess a 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. Preferred Experience: Post-graduate training year 1 (PGY1 residency), Post-graduate training year 2 (PGY2) residency in the area of specialty, and board certification from the Board of Pharmacotherapy Specialties (BPS) in the area of specialty (i.e. BCPP). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-13 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: The work involves light to moderate lifting; light to moderate carrying; reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking; standing; repeated bending, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable, far vision correctable in one eye, ability to distinguish basic colors/shades of colors; hearing aid permitted.The work of this position involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, and residences or commercial vehicles, e.g., use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. Occasional travel may be required.

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 Orlando VA Medical Center 13800 Veterans Way Orlando, FL 32827 US
• Name: Olivia Gregg
• Phone: 407-640-1476
• Email: [email protected]