Clinical Pharmacist Provider, Mental Health (MH CPP) - Serves as a provider with prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's Scope of Practice for MH CPP. The primary responsibility of the CPP is the provision of evidence-based pharmaceutical care services through both direct and indirect interaction with Veterans and providers.

Duties

This position will have clinical pharmacy duties in developing, organizing, and managing the Mental Health Clinical Pharmacist Provider CPP for Mental Health SAARTP in the Salisbury VA Healthcare System. This position serves as a consultant to the Deputy Chief of Pharmacy and provides oversight of the activities assigned to Mental Health Clinical Pharmacy Staff. Duties include but are not limited to: Treats patient, team members, other facility employees and visitors with respect. Responds to the needs of the service in a courteous and timely manner. Demonstrates appropriate and proactive interpersonal skills to achieve the goals of the service. Acts as a team member and is supportive of the group's efforts at all times. Demonstrates an ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality. Assists in treatment planning for psychiatric patients. Provides patient care which is appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patient. Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served in his or her assigned service area. Demonstrates knowledge of the changes associated with aging and possesses the ability to provide care based upon age related factors. Is 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. Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record and/or to the provider as appropriate. Is actively involved in reviewing 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. Monitors for and reports drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues. Documents findings per facility procedures. Has expertise in the principles of clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and is knowledgeable and able to make 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 with medication use evaluations and other Pharmacy and Therapeutics activities. Documents clinical interventions in CPRS in a timely and professional manner as appropriate. Promotes and monitors compliance for established drug therapy policies. Reviews and verifies medication orders to be administered to patients in mental health, prior to administration, for appropriateness and to reduce potential risk of adverse drug events. Primary provider to document information into VA Adverse Drug Event Reporting System (VA ADERS). All clinical pharmacy specialists share the responsibility to ensure reporting of adverse drug events is completed by clinicians. Primary provider for extending medication therapy until next medical appointment, when patients are out of medications (limited to non-controlled substances). Primary provider to initiate, modify or discontinue patient's medication therapy, as a consultation for intensive medication therapy management services. Provides patient-specific drug therapy modifications to maximize patient response and minimize drug interactions, adverse drug effects, and polypharmacy while providing cost-effective treatment. The assessments are based on clinical reviews and objectives measures. Clinical pharmacy specialists will determine a referral to the physician is necessary when disease progression occurs or adverse drug events require treatment interventions. 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 evaluation, additional testing requirements, referral to primary care or specialty care physician) VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Work Schedule: 8:00AM - 4:30, Monday - Friday Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidate. 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. 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. 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 (a) Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. (b) 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. 1. 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. Preferred Experience: Candidates should have a PGY2 in mental health and/or BCPP and/or recent direct patient care in mental health. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/55 PART II APPENDIX G15, June 7, 2012The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-13 Physical Requirements: Must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the duties of the position. See VA Handbook

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 WG Bill Hefner Salisbury VA Medical Center 1601 Brenner Avenue Salisbury, NC 28144 US
• Name: La-Tequl Edmonds-Arroyo
• Email: [email protected]