The Hematology/Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) is responsible for the development and implementation of clinical pharmacy services which support the Hematology/Oncology section of Medical Service. The Hematology/Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist will serve as the clinical pharmacy consultant and will also be responsible for planning, implementing, hazardous medication monitoring and utilization programs for infusion clinic patients.

Duties

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws The CPS is considered the chemotherapy expert in all areas related to medications utilized in hematology/oncology, including infusion clinics, eye clinic, as well as other specialty clinics and functions as a consultant to other health care professionals. The CPS functions at the highest level of clinical practice and is able to work independently under their scope of practice as defined by the medical center to directly care for patients. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Clinical Duties: Operates independently with a defined Scope of Practice to care for patients in a complex and diverse oncology clinical setting. The CPS functions as part of a multidisciplinary team by providing chemotherapy medication expertise. Demonstrates a higher level of knowledge in oncology medication management and provides expert knowledge in therapeutics, drug-drug interactions, compatibility, medication safety and hazardous/non-hazardous medication compounding. Performs a comprehensive assessment of patients as well as new patients being treated in the clinic as well as in-patients that require cancer medication treatment. Documents in the medical record each treatment cycle in a clinical note that includes current lab values, diagnosis, chemotherapy treatment cycle, medication administered and next treatment schedule. Follows-up with patients on oral/IV chemotherapy by phone or in person, requests labs needed for refills and documents conversation. Actively performs medication reconciliation with new patients and when medications change to ensure a current medication profile. Adheres to the VA formulary medications, and effectively educate oncologists, oncology fellows, other specialty providers who order IV medications that require a prior authorization and recommend medication alternatives when possible. Maintains the oncology Scorecard in VANCHCS for oral medications to ensure follow-up appointments and orders required labs that may be lacking. Orders all supportive medications that patients may require for their treatment. Collaborates with providers in other specialties for pre-medications or supportive mediations that patients may need. Follows all NCCN guidelines for clinical practice. Distributive Duties: Verifies correctness of order set for dosing by re-calculating BSA, current height/weight and current lab results of each patient and informing oncologist if corrections are needed. Reviews all oral medications for dosing accuracy prior to completing the prescription. Ensures all IV compounded medications are prepared in a sterile environment. Works closely with USP pharmacist to maintain current knowledge and updates. Documents lot number expiration date of all ingredients utilized in a sterile compound. Prints label for the oncology technician to prepare the medication. Assists oncology/infusion clinic nurses when there is a question regarding an order written or a question regarding a patient who may be in clinic. Updates nursing with any order changes and documents on the original order. Educational Duties: Orients and educates pharmacy students and pharmacy residents who are interested in ambulatory practice and oncology. Participates in educating new employees and providers in other specialty areas Administrative Duties: Maintains knowledge in Pharmacy Service changes such as formulary changes, and changes in clinical practice standards and guidelines. Maintains an understanding of all regulatory standards specific to clinical practice Contributes to a budgetary stewardship incorporating cost savings and identifying potential cost reduction opportunity. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, Variable day time hours. 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: Not Available 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. 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. 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. 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-foryear basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of HealthSystem 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. 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: Prior Hematology/Oncology, and inpatient or clinical 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]