The Harm Reduction Coordinator (HRC) Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) has in-depth knowledge and experience in harm reduction offerings and is responsible for providing leadership, direction, organization, planning, implementation, and evaluation of harm reduction efforts at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. Acts as point of contact for facility leadership and staff concerning planning, coordination, education, and dissemination of activities associated with Veteran harm reduction.

Duties

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Duties include but not limited to: Program Management: Develops, implements, expands, and evaluates outcomes of harm reduction initiatives within the facility. Initiatives may include, but are not limited to: Syringe Services Program (SSP) Fentanyl test strip distribution system Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) HIV Pre-exposure prophylaxis (HIV PrEP) Low barrier buprenorphine access Uses clinical dashboards to identify harm reduction opportunities and increase Veteran access to harm reduction offerings. Identifies and maintains information regarding: Vendors and sources to obtain harm reduction supplies. Community harm reduction organizations to refer Veterans who decline or are unable to receive VA harm reduction services. Partners, collaborates, and consults with key services and programs to identify, develop, and implement new harm reduction resources. Partnerships may include but are not limited to: Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH), Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO), Infectious Disease (ID) Clinic, Liver Clinic, Addiction Recovery Treatment Services, Mental Health Service, Pharmacy Service, Medicine Service, Nursing Service, Logistics Service, and the Pain Management, Opioid Safety, Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PMOP) Committee. Local and national community harm reduction organizations for program improvement and partnership. Committee and work group involvement. Participates in relevant local, VISN, and national committees and workgroups as assigned. Responsibilities within any given workgroup may include, but are not limited to, outcomes monitoring and reporting, practice standardization and resource development. Workgroups and committees may include, but are not limited to: Facility OEND Workgroup support for: Annual risk assessments of VA campuses to ensure timely access to naloxone Development and maintenance relevant facility policies Expansion of naloxone availability National VA HIV/SSP Affinity Group National VA Harm Reduction Support and Development Workgroup National VA Fentanyl Test Strip Workgroup Advocates for policy and program changes to enhance harm reduction services for Veterans. Clinical Pharmacy Practice: Promotes the appropriate, economical, safe and effective use of medication therapy through maintaining independent clinical pharmacy practice. Maintains collaborative and comprehensive medication therapy management clinics and services in designated areas of practice, under a scope of practice. This shall include physical assessment, ordering lab and diagnostic tests necessary to manage medication therapy, referrals to other services or health care providers, performing patient triage functions and independently initiating, adjusting, and discontinuing medications. Delivers direct care to patients through a variety of modalities which may include but are not limited to: Face-to-face care, telephone, video/telemedicine, e-consults, shared medical appointments, drop-in group medical appointments, group education classes and/or secured messaging interactions. Documents encounters and clinical decisions in CPRS progress notes. Responds to alerts sent by other members of the health care team. Provides medication extensions when prescribing provider is not available. Critically reviews non-formulary drug requests according to criteria for use for appropriateness, safety, cost-effectiveness and utilizing evidence-based decision-making. Education: Educates Veterans and health care system staff about harm reduction initiatives. Educates health care system staff on ending drug-related stigma and discrimination in healthcare, improving sexual and drug use history taking, infectious disease testing and linkage to harm reduction services. Precepts pharmacy residents, students, and other trainees, as assigned. Completes TMS and required trainings. Participates in self-development activities to maintain and strengthen professional competence in harm reduction and other identified practice areas. Quality Improvement, Process Improvement, and Research: Leads and participates in facility wide and pharmacy service, quality improvement, process improvement, and research projects as assigned. Participates in cost savings initiatives and utilization reviews as assigned. Precepts pharmacy resident rotations, research, quality improvement projects, presentations, and publications as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am - 4:30pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 93288A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) Education: 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://vvww.acpe-accredit.orgt (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. English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Grandfathering provision: 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 in paragraph 2, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-12 Pharmacist (Full Performance Level) Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following: 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; or Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. Program. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs): Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff. Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security. Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters. GS-13 Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards pertaining to 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. Preferred Experience: PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency, PGY-2 Residency in Mental Health or other other applicable practice area or equivalent experience in harm reduction, substance use disorders or similar practice areas. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-15 Licensed Pharmacist Qualification. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: The work environment is an inpatient pharmacy, an outpatient pharmacy, or a patient care area environment (including the Surgical Suite or Emergency Department). Some home visits may be required in the home-based primary care role. There may be extremes of temperature, distractions, noise from equipment or patient care activities. Handles frozen and refrigerated products often. May be required to use heating equipment. Exposure to negative and positive air pressure rooms is also possible. Must be able to don/doff protective garments and use equipment as necessary for assignment. May work with cleaning and disinfecting products occasionally. Must have the use of fingers; both hands required; Twisting and grasping of bottles and vials or syringes occurs frequently. Some lifting (25 lbs.), stretching and forward and overhead reaching is involved. Walking and standing 8-12 hours; repeated bending 8 hours; both legs required. May have to kneel to retrieve product(s) from lower cabinets or the floor. Must be able to rapidly coordinate mental and muscular duties simultaneously. Computer keyboard activity and computer monitor use is frequently performed. May be required to operate robotic packaging machinery and automated dispensing devices. Fine motor skills (for packaging and counting) and excellent visual acuity (for expiration date, tablet identification, and prescription interpretation) are required. Near vision correctable @ 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, depth perception; ability to distinguish shades of colors. Hearing acuity is required for phone communication, patient counseling and professional communication (hearing aid use is permitted). The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations and able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Works closely with others. May have protracted or irregular hours of work. Shift rotation is commonly required.

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 Ann Arbor VA Medical Center 2215 Fuller Road Ann Arbor, MI 48105 US
• Name: Eric Earns
• Phone: (989) 397-4981
• Email: [email protected]