The Clinical Pharmacist (CP) serves as a representative of the Pharmacy Service in a variety of positions throughout the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care System (VAGLAHS) stationed with the VA Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center in Downtown Los Angeles. The CP is a licensed professional with knowledge and proficiency in pharmacy practice including pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics for both direct and indirect patient care.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to: Responsible for patient care activities utilizing an advanced in-depth knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice. Responsible for patient care activities involving highly innovative methods of healthcare delivery, which may include clinical privileges in assigned area(s). Assesses the appropriateness of prescriptions/orders. Verifies new prescriptions/orders for components such as name of the patient, drug, formulary availability or status, drug dose, quantity, indications, directions, and number of refills. Processes pending prescriptions/orders appropriately. Applies knowledge of normal laboratory values and/or other monitoring parameters in the evaluation of patient care and recognizes significant abnormalities before the prescription/order is processed. Considers age/gender specific parameters when assessing poly-pharmacy, dose adjustments, and appropriateness of therapy. Reviews and documents drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues per facility procedures. Identifying and taking specific corrective action for drug-induced problems according to protocol. Monitors patients' anticoagulation therapy through telephone consultations or clinic visits at intervals determined by the pharmacist. At each follow-up encounter, reviews lab results and evaluates patients for any changes related to their anticoagulation therapy. As needed, makes dose changes or other changes to patients' anticoagulation therapy. Documents any medication changes and therapeutic plan in electronic medical records. Provides clinical pharmacy consultations and drug information to professional staff on the pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics of pharmaceutical products. Recognizes suicide risk factors and understands facility policies regarding suicide prevention, support systems, and referral resources. Documents and ensures timely completion of alerts, encounters, notes, and consults per local policy. Reviews, evaluates, adjudicates, and documents requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria, where applicable, per departmental procedure. Knowledge of all aspects of the Outpatient Pharmacy and the ability to perform all tasks when required. Develops, plans, and implements innovative ambulatory care programs with an emphasis in total pharmaceutical care. Establishes and maintains good work flow patterns to keep outpatient prescription fill waiting time to less than 30 minutes or less. Checks inpatient and outpatient prescriptions/orders that are filled by pharmacy technicians ensuring their accuracy and completeness prior to dispensing/administration. Assists in identifying, distributing, and balancing workload and tasks among pharmacy technicians. Checks unit dose prepackaging and compounding completed by pharmacy technicians for accuracy prior to dispensing. Responsible for the safe and appropriate distribution of unit dose, IV admixtures, and oncolytics. Responsible for the security and dispensing of control substances, including compliance of DEA and VA policies, including the Code of Federal Regulations. Assists with the Quality Assurance (QA) program within Pharmacy Service as it relates to clinical and non-clinical pharmacy practice. Serves as a preceptor and model to pharmacy trainees including residents, pharmacy students, and pharmacy technician students. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:30pm Functional Statement #: 000000 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. 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. 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.) School transcripts must be submitted with your application. 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). A copy of the FPGEC certificate must be submitted. 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. An active copy of unrestricted license to practice pharmacy must be submitted. 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). All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of June 7, 2012 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. Grade Determinations: GS-12 Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11), or, Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. AND Applicant must meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below: 1. Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice. 2. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff. 3. Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security. 4. 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 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing/sitting for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs, and bending/stooping. The work may entail repetitive wrist movement while using various size syringes, vial cap removal, and typing.

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 Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System 11301 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90073 US
• Name: Hugo Lopez
• Phone: (858) 552-8585 X7748
• Email: [email protected]