Job opening: Clinical Pharmacist - Inpatient
Salary: $76 148 - 163 313 per year
Published at: Sep 11 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
The LTC Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center is recruiting to fill one Clinical Pharmacist - Inpatient position at the Ann Arbor facility.
Duties
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws
Clinical:
The pharmacist provides appropriate selection of drug therapy based upon the pharmaceutical principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; monitoring for efficacy, side effects and clinical outcome; and advises prescribers as appropriate.
Provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicates relevant findings and/or recommendations to other health care providers in charge of the patient both orally and in writing via notes in the electronic health record. Monitoring will include prospective review and intervention in:
Therapeutic appropriateness of a patient's drug regimen
Therapeutic duplication in the patient's drug regimen
Appropriateness of the route and method of administration
Degree of patient compliance with the prescribed drug regimen
Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-laboratory, or drug disease interactions
Clinical and pharmacokinetic laboratory data to evaluate the efficacy of drug therapy and to anticipate side effects, toxicity, or adverse effects
Physical signs and clinical symptoms relevant to the patient's drug therapy
Performs continuous evaluation of prescribed medications to assure optimal drug therapy
Provides medication counseling to patients
Completes medication histories including patient interviews
Serves as. a drug information resource by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other health care professionals, patients and caregivers
Participates in patient care rounds, review charts, evaluates pertinent laboratory data, drug-drug and drug-nutrient interactions, monitors for adverse drug effects, and screens for allergies
Performs medication reconciliation at all transitions of care, including updating the medication profile to reflect an accurate, active list of VA and non-VA medications. This may include adding non-VA medications or discontinuing duplicate medications or those the patient is not taking
Assesses drug safety and efficacy, including evaluation of physical symptoms
Reports adverse drug events (ADE), close calls, and medication errors in alignment with VA ADERS reporting program and the hospital Joint Patient Safety Reporting (JPSR) program respectively
Participates in the medical center medication utilization evaluation (MUE) program
Recommends formulary alternatives and completes non-formulary consults as assigned
Participates in medical emergencies including code teams and emergency preparedness activities
Provides pharmacokinetic consultation, including dosing vancomycin aminoglycosides and anticoagulants, in accordance with local policy. Documents findings in the electronic health record as applicable
Implements P&T Committee policies including therapeutic interchanges and automatic substitutions to include appropriate patient and provider education
Manages recalls and medication shortage situations by substituting alternate dosage strengths and instructions of the same medication to equal the prescribed dose and schedule
Enters supply orders appropriate for patient care per facility policy
Manages various actions, as appropriate, for medication orders to include: flagging prescriptions, managing view alerts, using the "hold medication" function, and generating unsigned discontinued orders using Service Reject
Dispensing:
Reviews all medication orders for appropriateness, drug selection, dosage, route of administration and the amount, prior to dispensing
Ensures all medication orders are entered into the electronic patient medical record
Fills all orders in a timely fashion; a systematic review of the patient's allergy history, drug-drug, drug-nutrient, drug-laboratory and drug-disease state interactions and assessment of the clinical relevance should be performed and dealt with appropriately
Reviews medication profiles and monitors for compliance or potential abuse; problems encountered shall be resolved
Selects, compounds, dispenses and fills a range of drugs including extemporaneous preparations, special formulations, ophthalmics (subconjunctivals and intravitreal injections), narcotics, investigational drugs, oncolytic agents, etc., in both outpatient and inpatient areas. Adequate quality assurance procedures shall be followed as applicable
Maintains adequate drug stock, inspects drug storage areas, supervises prepacking and the operation of automated dispensing equipment
Supervises the activities of support personnel
Ensures drugs dispensed are completely and correctly labeled and packaged in full compliance with Federal rules and regulations
Work Schedule: Rotating weekends and holidays, typical tour 7:00am - 3:30pm.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD92505A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
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:
Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
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://vvww.acpe-accredit.orgt (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.
Failure to Obtain License. In all cases, pharmacists must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the unlicensed pharmacist with the written requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. Failure to become licensed within 2 years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0660 Pharmacist series and may result in termination of employment.
English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
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).
Grade Determinations:
GS-11 Pharmacist: Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.
GS-12 Pharmacist (Full Performance Level) Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following:
1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; or
Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. Program.
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):
Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.
Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
Preferred Experience: Inpatient experience 1 year or residency training (PGY1)
References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-15 Licensed Pharmacist Qualification.
Physical Requirements: Must have the use of fingers; both hands required; Twisting and grasping of bottles and vials or syringes occurs frequently. Some lifting (25 lbs.), stretching and forward and overhead reaching is involved. Walking and standing 8-12 hours; repeated bending 8 hours; both legs required. May have to kneel to retrieve product(s) from lower cabinets or the floor. Must be able to rapidly coordinate mental and muscular duties simultaneously. Computer keyboard activity and computer monitor use is frequently performed. May be required to operate robotic packaging machinery and automated dispensing devices. Fine motor skills (for packaging and counting) and excellent visual acuity (for expiration date, tablet identification, and prescription interpretation) are required. Near vision correctable @ 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, depth perception; ability to distinguish shades of colors. Hearing acuity is required for phone communication, patient counseling and professional communication (hearing aid use is permitted). The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations and able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Works closely with others. May have protracted or irregular hours of work. Shift rotation is commonly 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 Ann Arbor VA Medical Center
2215 Fuller Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
US
- Name: Eric Earns
- Phone: (989) 397-4981
- Email: [email protected]
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