Job opening: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist -Outpatient Mental Health
Salary: $142 883 - 185 745 per year
Published at: Nov 07 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
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
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws
If you are not a current, permanent VA employee, VHA Health Professional Trainees, or Federal employee from another agency, you should apply CBST-12177526-24-LG
The incumbent has full time responsibility for providing expert clinical pharmacy services for the assigned mental health unit and/or clinic to optimize patient response and resource utilization. Within this basic framework the incumbent assumes the following duties and responsibilities:
Provides advanced pharmacology and therapeutic consultations to the Mental Health Staff.
Acts as a provider within a scope of practice provided by privileges accorded by the Pharmacy Professional Standards Board. Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner determines if a referral to the physician is necessary when disease progression occurs, or adverse events require treatment interventions.
Documents clinical interventions in CPRS in a timely and professional manner as appropriate. Utilizes PBM PhARMD tool and/or other clinical surveillance monitors to document interventions in progress note.
Collaborates with clinical staff to provide pharmaceutical care to selected patients as outlined by best evidence, VHS and MEDVAMC clinical practice guidelines. Clinical activities include histories, evaluations, outlining and executing, and monitoring pharmacotherapeutic treatment plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic, and most economical medication treatments.
Completes medication reconciliation 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 discontinuing medications patient is no longer taking.
Enters supply orders to support medication compliance and accurate medication administration (e.g., syringes, needles, tablet splitters), in accordance with VA medical facility policy.
Manages out-of-stock situations by substituting alternate dosage strengths and instructions of the same medication equal to the prescribed dose and schedule as approved by the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, including patient education as necessary.
Performs drug conversions and assists with drug shortages when needed.
Implements VA medical facility policies and VISN initiatives including therapeutic interchanges and automatic substitutions.
Work Schedule: Tour will be determined by the need of the agency
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 580-01170-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact
[email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Qualifications
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:
(a) 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.)
(b) 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.
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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
Clinical Pharmacy Specialist GS-13: Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.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:
Completion of PGY-2 residency training in Psychiatric Pharmacy Practice or equivalent clinical experience
Three years direct patient care experience in practice area
Board certification in Psychiatric Pharmacy
Experience with residency/teaching programs
Actively involved in committees or work groups at the local, regional (VISN) and/or National level that directly relate to position
References: VA Handbook 5005/55, Part II Appendix G15, Licensed Pharmacist, Qualification Standard dated June 7, 2012.
The full performance level of this vacancy is 13.
Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. The Pharmacy can be an exceptionally stressful work environment. Good mental and emotional health is required in order to function at an optimum level. Work areas can be high stress environments, due to volume of workload, which must be accomplished. Patients may sometimes be difficult. The position requires a high level of conduct, appearance, and general courteous manner which facilitates dealing with patients, physicians, and nurses in an effective way.
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 Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center
2002 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, TX 77030
US
- Name: Lakayal Givens
- Phone: 3187092538
- Email: [email protected]
Map