The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) is a licensed professional with advanced knowledge and proficiency in pharmacy practice. The incumbent functions as an advanced practice professional for Pulmonary services and is responsible for analyzing real and potential drug-related medical problems and implementing corrective action. NOTE: Recruitment/Relocation incentives of $10,000 with 2 year service agreement may be approved for highly qualified candidates.

Duties

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) serves as a mid-level provider with prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's Scope of Practice. The Pulmonary CPS functions at the highest level of clinical pharmacy practice to provide comprehensive medication management (CMM) to the Veterans serviced at the North Florida/South Georgia VAHS. CMM is a patient-centered approach to improving patient health outcomes through optimizing medication use delivered by a CPP working in collaboration with the patient and other healthcare providers. CMM includes, but is not limited to: designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing best evidence, 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; evaluating a provider's orders as to appropriateness based on patient medication profiles; inputting information into the Electronic Health Record; verifying orders entered by healthcare providers as needed; and ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy. Duties may include but are not limited to: Plays a defined role in budgetary execution and serves as an advanced practice professional who functions to initiate, modify or discontinue medication therapy and serves as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management services. Designs, implements, assesses, monitors and documents therapeutic plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic and most economical medication treatments. 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 other health care providers 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. 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 and positive patient centric outcomes. Provides medication counseling to patients. Completes health/medication histories including patient interviews. Serves as a drug information resource and consultant for intensive medication therapy management services by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other health care professionals, patients and caregivers. 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. Processes, checks and fills all orders in a timely fashion; review of the patient's allergy history, drug- drug, drug-nutrient, drug-laboratory and drug-disease state interactions and assessment for 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, etc., when applicable in the outpatient setting. 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. Ensures drugs dispensed are completely and correctly labeled and packaged in full compliance with Federal rules and regulations. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm; including weekends, nights and holidays rotated on a fair and equitable basis based on service needs. Telework: Available per Agency policy and Service approval on an Ad hoc basis. Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: PD52094F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate subject to approval, available funding, and in accordance with agency policy. Permanent Change of Stations (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: Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: (1) 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.) (2) 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. NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. § 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Licensed Pharmacists 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 for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - GS-0660-13 (Above full performance): Experience: In addition to the Basic Requirements, Pharmacists assigned to the GS-13 grade must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12): Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher the 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. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's): Pharmacist 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 5005/55, Part II, Appendix G15, Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard. Preferred Experience: Previous clinical experience in the Pulmonary setting or completion of a PGY2 pharmacy residency with a significant focus in this area (or similar) is preferred. 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: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving stating or sitting for prolonged periods of time, typing, walking. Additionally, occasional lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies may be required, and bending, stooping or stretching.

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 Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1601 Southwest Archer Road Gainesville, FL 32608 US
• Name: Diana Dieringer
• Phone: 727-967-6873
• Email: [email protected]