The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist(CPS)- Infectious Diseases is a highly trained medication management expert and consultant in highly complex, clinical scenarios, collaborating with healthcare providers to ensure safe, appropriate, and cost-effective use of antimicrobial medications throughout the facility.

Duties

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws As a CPS, the incumbent functions at the highest level of clinical practice, working independently under his/her scope of practice as defined by the medical center to provide consultation services for acute and chronic disease state management, patient therapeutic drug monitoring, patient and staff education, and comprehensive medication management (CMM) relevant to the appropriate use of antimicrobials. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Patient Care Clinical Specific Duties: Reviews and evaluates medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes. Makes drug, dose, route, and duration adjustments and recommendations based on patient specific information and expertise in the principles of infectious diseases, microbiology and clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Orders, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy. Follows-up with patients on lab or test results to discuss the plan of therapy. Participates in care coordination by designing pharmaceutical care plans. Utilizes motivational interview skills with patient, family, caregiver, and other healthcare professionals. Manages acute and chronic disease states under Scope of Practice. Assess the Veteran, order appropriate labs, analyze and prescribe appropriate medication therapy for optimal outcomes and improve patient access to care. Provides support and coverage for Pharmacy Services related to the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. Patient Care Clinical Supportive Duties: Collaborates with providers to develop, implement, and maintain systems and tools that promote optimal antimicrobial use and desirable clinical outcomes through use of safe, cost-effective drug therapies. Provides academic detailing and education on antimicrobial stewardship and infectious diseases. Serves as an authoritative information source on antimicrobials and their uses. Provides both written and oral drug information to physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals as well as to patients and their caregivers. Utilizes the most recent literature to draw a clear, concise conclusion applicable to effective disease management and pharmacotherapy Non-Direct Patient Care Duties: Participates on the Antimicrobial Stewardship Team. Develops policy for the facility or pharmacy services. Supports research and quality improvement initiatives of Pharmacy Service. Activities must be in accordance with FDA guidelines and regulations, and local Institutional Review Board (IRB) and VHA policies. Education: Participates in the training and orientation of pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, pharmacy staff and allied healthcare professionals. Coordinates and supervise the activities of postgraduate residents in infectious diseases, as preceptor. Maintains and improves professional competency by keeping up with information on new medications, new medication therapies, and innovations in pharmacy practices. Obtains and maintains Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification (BLS). Administrative and Supervisory: Serves as pharmacy liaison with Infectious Diseases team and stakeholders, representing pharmacy service in a professional manner. Performs any duties and special projects deemed necessary by Pharmacy Administration, for the proper operation of the Pharmacy Service. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Paid Time Off: 37 days of annual paid time offer per year (13 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Available on an Ad-hoc basis. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 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). 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). 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. 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 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: 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. 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment stated above, the following criteria must be met. 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. 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. Clinical Pharmacist Specialist, GS-13 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS12. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities( KSAs). 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 for their 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. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range at the specified grade level and be performed at least 25% of the time. 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. Preferred Experience: Completion of a PGY1 residency program and PGY 2 Infectious Disease residency program or equivalent experience. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15, 6/7/2012, VA Pharmacist Qualification Standards, GS-660. The full performance level of this position is GS-13 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) and you 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 VA Northern California Health Care System 10535 Hospital Way Mather, CA 95655 US
• Name: Marisella Souza
• Phone: 925-356-4088
• Email: [email protected]