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

The VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) has an immediate opening for a Harm Reduction Coordinator (HRC) Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP). This position is responsible for providing leadership, strategies, implementation and evaluation of harm reduction efforts at VAPAHCS, including but not limited to overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND), syringe services program (SSP), fentanyl test strip distribution and infectious disease transmission initiatives. The HRC CPP will function at the highest level of clinical practice and licensure, serve as an advanced practice provider, and work independently with prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's scope of practice, up to 20% of the scheduled work hours. The HRC CPP responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Program Coordinator Activities: Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop, implement, expand, and evaluates outcomes of harm reduction initiatives: OEND, SSP, and fentanyl test strip distribution system including Veterans and staff education resources, standardized standards of procedures, standardized note template and harm reduction kits. Collaborate with National VA offices, such as VA Hepatitis and Related Conditions (HRRC), Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP), Academic Detailing Services, Clinical Pharmacy Office (CPPO), for development of new harm reduction resources and programs. Provides formal and informal education and in-services about the harm reduction programs to pharmacy, medical, nursing, and other staff throughout the health care system. Clinical Activities: Provide direct patient care under the individual pharmacists' scope of practice, which will include: face-to-face, telephone, or VVC patients appointments of comprehensive medication management (CMM) focused on harm reduction, including provision of harm reduction education and supplies available via prescriptions for SSP and Fentanyl Test Strip, OEND, Infectious Disease Prevention (e.g. HIV PrEP) Outreach Programs. Provide screening and testing for drug-related infections, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), latent tuberculosis (TB), and sexual transmitted infections (STIs). Develop and implement low barrier buprenorphine initiation and infectious disease testing. PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: The ideal candidate should: Have completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency (ideally a PGY2 Pharmacy Residency) or have equivalent experience. Demonstrate the ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. Understand regulatory and quality standards for their program area. Demonstrate strong/effective program management skills during previous employment. This includes solving problems, coordinating, and organizing individual AND group responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise. Possess expert knowledge within clinical pharmacy practice and experience in harm reduction, OEND, SSP, fentanyl test strip and infectious disease prevention programs. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Available on an Ad-hoc basis Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not 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

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: U.S. citizenship. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). 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. (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy). [TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION] 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). [YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF FPGEE AND TOEFL WITH YOUR APPLICATION] 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. [YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF CURRENT LICENSE WITH THE APPLICATION PACKAGE]. Creditable Experience. Knowledge of Professional Pharmacy Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with professional pharmacy practice. Professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional or unlicensed graduate pharmacist as defined by the appropriate licensing board. 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). Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to pharmacy experience at the next lower level. Experience as a Graduate Pharmacist is creditable provided the candidate was used as a professional pharmacist (under supervision) and subsequently passed the appropriate licensure examination. Part-time Experience. Part-time experience as a professional pharmacist is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a pharmacist employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment stated above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Pharmacist (Harm Reduction Coordinator Clinical Practitioner), GS-13 (a) Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS12) (b) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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. (c) Assignments. Manages all aspects of a distinct program to include policy development, quality resources and specialty functions unique to the program to optimize cost effectiveness (budget) and patient outcomes. Coordinates a single program area of a complex pharmacy operation, or multiple program areas within a facility to develop, organize, manage, and control complex pharmacy programs. Develops, organizes, coordinates and manages single or multiple program areas within the medical facility; this may include a single program area at multiple facilities. The Program Manager title is reserved for those individuals who have one or more of the following: supervisory responsibilities for various sections within Pharmacy Service; a complex program requiring coordination of multiple locations such as medical center care facilities, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), rural health, telemedicine, etc; specialized areas of a complex nature such as nuclear pharmacy, quality assurance, pharmacy informatics, clinical applications coordinator, Home Based Primary Care, pharmacoeconomist or liaison pharmacist duties requiring the coordination of processes with other medical facilities or VISNs. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the KSAs identified in subparagraph 3b(3)(b)1 above. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15, dated June 7, 2012, VA Pharmacist Qualification Standards, GS-660. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity (depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors), near vision correctable at 13 to 16, and far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other and keen hearing. This position requires potentially long periods standing (6 hours). The incumbent may be required to do light lifting and carrying of up to 15 pounds; reaching above shoulders. Both hands and legs are required along with the use of all fingers; hearing (aid permitted); repetitive computer use.

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 Palo Alto VA Medical Center 3801 Miranda Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94304 US
• Name: Timothy McBrian
• Email: [email protected]