The Mental Health Clinical Pharmacist Specialist (MHCPS) functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their individual scope of practice to directly care for patients. Based on individual station location, the MHCPS functions as a member of their assigned team(s) and serves as a mid-level provider to initiate, modify or discontinue medication therapy, and as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management services.

Duties

The Mental Health Clinical Pharmacist Specialist will be responsible for providing clinical services to providers and Veterans throughout ECHCS. The MHCPS team members are located in the ambulatory mental health clinics in Denver and Colorado Springs, acute care mental health ward, PTSD lodging program, and the homeless domiciliary. Clinical services are also provided to outlying clinics via telehealth and E-consults. FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION: Direct Patient Care Activities (Mid-level provider) 1.Core functions include face-to-face and telephone encounters with referred patients, for comprehensive medication management. 2.Functions as a mid-level provider to design, implement, and monitor therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas. 3.Orders, performs, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy. 4.Follows-up with patients on lab or test results to discuss the plan of therapy, i.e. changes in medication therapy, monitoring, and additional testing requirements. 5.Clinical pharmacy specialists will determine if a referral to the physician is necessary when disease progression occurs or adverse drug events require treatment interventions. Indirect Patient Care Activities: 1.Review 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. 2.Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record and/or to the provider as appropriate. 3. Monitor and report drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues. Documents findings per facility procedures. 4. Apply knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care, recognizes significant abnormalities, and makes dose adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings. 5. Reviews and evaluates requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable. 6. Assists Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee with medication use evaluations and other safety initiatives. 7. Documents clinical interventions in CPRS in a timely and professional manner as appropriate. 8. Promotes and monitors compliance for established drug therapy policies. 9. Works with providers to ensure compliance with national, VISN, and local initiatives. 10. Reviews and verifies medication orders for appropriateness and to reduce potential risk of adverse drug events. Education and Research: 1. Participates in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other medical center personnel as required. 2. Is skilled at using both written and verbal communication techniques in teaching others. 3. May serve as preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents in accordance with established policies. 4. Assists in new employee orientation sessions as scheduled. Drug Information: 1. Serves as an authority on drug usage, interactions, over-dosages, and compliance, to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians and students. Uses appropriate references to research drug information. 2. Has a good working knowledge of information resources, both written and electronic. 3. Maintains a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management. 4. Provides timely and accurate responses to drug information inquiries from all customers. 5. Effectively instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices. Is able to adjust communication and tracking methods based on age and developmental considerations. Is able to accurately assess and document patient comprehension. Is able to refer patients to educational programs provided at the medical center by multidisciplinary teams. Program Management: 1. Serves on medical center and/or VISN committees as requested. 2. Adheres to all medical center and department policies and regulations. The incumbent is administratively accountable to the clinical pharmacy program manager. The incumbent is also accountable to the Chief, Pharmacy Service, or their designee, for professional licensure, certification, competency and continuing education. Other duties as assigned to meet the needs of the Medical Center Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am- 4:30pm Telework: Authorized - Ad-HOC determined by agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 55071-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (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: United States 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.(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).c. 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.(1) Exception. Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist. English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English Residency and Fellowship Training: Residency and fellowship training programs in a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for year basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP). A fellowship program that is not accredited by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) will need to have comparable standards for experience to be creditable (Professional Standards Board refers to the Deputy Chief Consultant for Professional Practice for the determination). Grandfathering Provision: All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. (3) If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: GS-13Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. 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: PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency or PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency with at least one year of experience in Ambulatory Care clinical experience +/- BCPS/BCACP. References: Hybrid Title 38 Occupation official qualification standards of the position as stated in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 Eastern Colorado HCS Denver 13611 E. Colfax Ave Aurora, CO 80045 US
• Name: Barbara Ruicker
• Phone: 918-616-1494
• Email: [email protected]