The Mental Health Outpatient/Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Clinical Pharmacist Specialist (CPS) will provide clinical services to veterans managed by the Mental Health services at the Loma Linda VA Health Care System. The CPS also represents Pharmacy Services in Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder clinics and serves as a representative in various hospital functions.

Duties

Duties include but not limited to: Performs direct patient care activities as a mid-level provider, and is responsible for initiating, modifying, or discontinuing medications and ordering pertinent labs. Educates veterans regarding their care while participating in their medication management. Provides medication management services for patients and to aid other professional staff to optimize patient response and resource utilization. Conducts patient interviews to include, but not limited to, medical history, medication reconciliation, assessment and treatment planning. Conducts standardized mental health exams and questionnaires as appropriate for side effect and symptom monitoring. Documents all patient interactions and assessments in the medical record promptly and accurately. Ensures safe, appropriate, cost-effective medication therapies for patients, in accordance with established policies, procedures, and protocols. Communicates regularly with the veteran's treatment team members concerning the ongoing management of the veteran. Participates in pharmacy clinical administrative tasks including, but not limited to, clinic maintenance and profile management. Provides input to the Pharmacy Service Chief and other Pharmacy supervisors in establishing and accomplishing the Pharmacy's missions and goals. Contributes to planning and implementation of an effective quality assurance program for the pharmacy service and for the pharmacy team. Presents to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, when requested, on the safe, efficient, and cost-effective use of medications and/or other topics related to mental health. Develops, build, and maintain safe and effective medication orders and order sets within the electronic health record. Provides prompt, accurate drug information when requested. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am- 4:30 pm Telework: May be authorized base on the needs of the service. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States Education: Applicants must possess one of the following: 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.) 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. Preferred Experience/Qualifications: Mental Health titration clinic experience and/or PGY2 Psychiatry program completion. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must possess the following grade requirements. GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist: Applicants must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. In addition, applicants must meet the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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 Assignment: 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15 - Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standards. Physical Requirements: Physical movements involve completion of routine pharmacy functions which include but are not limited to significant computer work/typing, prescription order entry and processing, contact of patients (both face to face and via phone). Certain tasks are repetitive in nature and require multiple steps performed in succession for success. The incumbent should be able to lift and carry up to 30 pounds without significant difficulty. Loma Linda VA Health Care System Incumbent must be able to stand or sit in one place for considerable time during completion of complex tasks. Complexity of mental processes involved is extensive, demanding, and challenging.

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 Jerry L Pettis Memorial Veterans Hospital 11201 Benton Street Loma Linda, CA 92357 US
• Name: Christina Rigole
• Phone: (909)583-6505
• Email: [email protected]