Job opening: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Emergency Department
Salary: $127 242 - 165 412 per year
Published at: Jan 05 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
VA Cheyenne Health Care System is hiring for one Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for the Emergency Department.
Duties
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws
The Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner (CPP) in the Emergency Department (ED) is a licensed professional serving as a medication expert in the ED setting. The CPP functions at the highest level of clinical practice and works collectively with the ED Interdisciplinary team. The CCP serves as a liaison between Pharmacy Service and the Emergency Department. They are responsible for planning, implementing, and operating the drug monitoring and utilization programs in the ED. The incumbent is an expert in all areas related to drug therapy and functions as a consultant to other health care professionals. He/she will also be responsible for providing medication reconciliation oversight of and will act as the primary liaison between Pharmacy Service and the ED.
Other duties may include, but are not limited to:
Interviews and evaluates patients upon admission to the ED and before admission to the hospital for appropriateness of pharmacologic therapy and performs thorough and comprehensive medication review and reconciliation.
Designs a pharmaceutical care plan for those patients who need pharmaceutical care and will document the pharmacy plan, allowing for seamless transitions of care and effective communication within the patient's healthcare team.
Evaluates drug therapy through direct patient care involvement, with clinical assessment and objective findings relating to patients' responses to drug therapy and communicating those findings and recommendations to appropriate individuals and documenting appropriately in the electronic health records (EHR). Findings that might require action that include but are not limited to: Misuse of medication, i.e., abuse, overuse, or underuse, inappropriate dose, dose interval, or dosage form, drug and/or pharmacologic duplication, adverse drug-drug, drug-lab, or drug-food interactions, adverse drug reactions, inappropriate response, inappropriate therapeutic regimen.
Assists in the development and documentation of therapeutic plans as a member of the treatment team to improve outcomes, reduce potential for serious adverse effects and promote cost containment.
Advises medical team on relevant aspects of clinical pharmacokinetics as it pertains to proper dosing within the context of relevant organ system deficiencies, monitoring of serum plasma concentrations and patient response. Also, advises medical team as to how to individualize dosing of selected medications based on interpretation of serum drug levels.
With approved clinical privileges under a Scope of Practice, and under the appropriate supervision of the attending physician, assumes limited authority to direct drug therapy and order, perform, review and/or analyze appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy as a member of the treatment team. Refers patients to another appropriate clinic and/or provider, as appropriate.
Assists in the management and reporting of adverse drug reactions, and acute and chronic disease states.
Identifies and takes specific corrective action for drug-induced problems as a member of the treatment team.
Orders consults (i.e. dietician, social work) as appropriate to maximize positive drug therapy outcomes.
Assists in transitions of care for admissions/discharges/transfers and discharge planning, ensuring continuity of care for patients leaving the ED. Educates patients on their drug therapy with respect to compliance and proper administration, signs of toxicity, adverse effects, and interactions with other medications.
Participates in Clinical Care Review program for oversight of CPPs.
Works with patients who have been identified as having compliance/adherence issues with their medications.
Ensures inventory discrepancies are resolved prior to dispensing, and notifies the Chief, Pharmacy Service or designee as soon as discrepancy is discovered.
Verifies electronic orders entered by the physician for accuracy while performing a prospective drug utilization evaluation taking into account drug-drug interactions, drug-allergy contraindications, drug disease interactions, and dosage form. Assures doses are within acceptable limits (including evaluation of FDA recommended doses). Ensures start and stop dates are entered appropriately. Ensures that special comments are taken into consideration and clarified, when needed.
Fills controlled substances in both inpatient and outpatient pharmacy according to established policies and procedures.
Distributes inpatient and outpatient orders and requests for controlled substances according to established pharmacy procedures and policies.
Follows all VHA, DEA, and Pharmacy policies and procedures regarding controlled substances and notifies Chief of Pharmacy or designee of any discrepancies.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:30pm
Functional Statement #: 58893-O
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. Be a citizen of the United States.
English Language Proficiency. Clinical Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3j.
Education. Candidates must meet 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.
OR,
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. A 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.
Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet the following:
Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
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 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (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
This vacancy is for a GS-13 which is above the Full Performance Level.
Specialized Experience/Preferred Characteristics: Current experience in Emergency Department, Acute Care, or Inpatient Pharmacy, and current/past/upcoming VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduate (VA Residency).
Physical Requirements: Physical movements involve completion of routine pharmacy functions which include but are not limited to: significant computer work/typing involving documenting patient encounters in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), 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 45 pounds without significant difficulty. Incumbent must be able to stand or sit in one place including repeated bending for considerable time, reach above shoulders, use of fingers, both hands and legs required, during completion of complex tasks. Complexity of mental processes involved is extensive, demanding, and challenging thus requiring the ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously for mental and emotional stability.
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:
https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Contacts
- Address Cheyenne VA Medical Center
2360 East Pershing Boulevard
Cheyenne, WY 82001
US
- Name: Ashley Albanese
- Phone: 303-202-8540
- Email: [email protected]
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