The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) serves as a provider with prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's practice area based scope of practice for the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Pain to provide comprehensive medication therapy management (MTM). The primary responsibility of the CPS is the provision of evidence-based pharmaceutical care services through direct care with patients and consultation with other providers on their team.

Duties

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 functions as part of the Pain team and is most effective when assigned a panel of patients requiring MTM services, to support continuity of care and ensure the best use of pharmaceuticals. Clinical Pharmacy Specialists will follow patients in direct care setting to achieve therapeutic goal. CPS are employees of their medical center's Pharmacy Service, to ensure they receive all professional guidance, policy and communications, along with department missions and goals, especially regarding the VA National Formulary, VISN and local medical center Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee objectives for formulary management activities and patient safety updates (i.e. notices, bulletins). Clinical Duties include but are not limited to: Directly involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring of therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas Involved in reviewing patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes Communicate findings with other providers and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed Apply knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care and recognizes significant abnormalities Expertise in the principles of clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and is knowledgeable and able to make dose adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings Coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes for tele-health program including management of health emergencies at remote site Provide tele-health assessments and treatment provided by tele-work Document clinical interventions in CPRS in a timely and professional manner Obtain medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record Perform drug use evaluations on behalf of national, VISN and local medical center initiatives and other Pharmacy and Therapeutics activities as needed Provide patient-specific drug therapy to maximize patient response and minimize drug interactions, adverse drug effects, and polypharmacy while providing cost-effective treatment Determine if a referral to the physician is necessary when disease progression occurs, or adverse drug events require treatment interventions Order, perform, review and analyze appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy Follow up with patients on lab or test results to discuss the plan of therapy (i.e., changes in medication therapy, monitoring and evaluation, additional testing requirements, referral to primary care or specialty care physician) Monitor for and report drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues Review and evaluate requests for assigned prior authorization drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable Promote and monitor compliance for established drug therapy policies Work with providers to ensure compliance with national, VISN, and local initiatives Serve on medical center, VISN or National committees as requested Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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. 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 website 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.) 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. Grandfathering Provision. 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). 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). Grade Determinations: 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: Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters. Preferred Experience: Education/training: PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Education/training: PGY2 Pharmacy Residency in Pain/Palliative Care or PGY1 +3 years> 50% clinical experience in Pain Certification: BCPP or BCPS Experience as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (Pain) - direct patient care with scope of practice Licensing: Active DEA license and experience prescribing and managing controlled substances References: VA Handbook 5005/55 Part II Appendix G15 Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard GS-660 dated June 7, 2012. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: moderate lifting (15-44 pounds), moderate carrying (15-44 pounds), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking (8 hours), standing (8 hours), kneeling (1 hour), repeated bending (4 hours), Both legs required, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, DVA Correctable to 20/40, Both eyes required, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid may be permitted).

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Failure to provide transcripts may result in non-referral of your application if education cannot be verified.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Note: If your school was accredited by ACPE at the time of graduation, but is no longer listed on the ACPE website http://www.acpe-accredit.org/, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

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 Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78229 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]