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

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist will be assigned to Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) in the primary care clinics. Teams are located in the main hospital and associated community based outlying clinics. The CPS will be consulted by their team(s) for comprehensive medication management of complex patients with chronic diseases commonly seen in the primary care setting. The clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their individual scope of practice to directly care for patients. A CPS functions as a member of their assigned team(s) and serves as an advanced practice provider 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. This position is a full-time at 40 hours per week. Duties for this position may include, but not limited to: Functions as a mid-level provider to provide comprehensive medication management in face-to-face and virtual appointments using their scope of practice with a focus on medication optimization for Veteran care. This includes, but is not limited to, disease states such as: diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pain management, substance use disorder and hyperlipidemia. Orders, performs, 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, i.e. changes in medication therapy, monitoring, and additional testing requirements. Serves as an authoritative information source on drugs and their utilization in therapy. Reviews patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes. Communicates findings with prescribers and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans. Monitors and reports drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues. Applies knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care, recognizes significant abnormalities, and makes dose adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings. Works with providers to ensure compliance with national, VISN, and local initiatives. Participates in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other staff on assigned teams. Utilizes both written and verbal communication techniques in teaching others. Serves as preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents in accordance with established policies. Serves as an authority on drug usage, interactions, over-dosages, and compliance, to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians and students. Uses appropriate references to research drug information. Maintains a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management. Provides timely and accurate responses to drug information inquiries from all customers. Adheres to all medical center and department policies and regulations. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. Compressed/Flexible:Not Available. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F04841. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Contact Karen Chapman J., [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Current or formal Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is a bargaining unit position. This position is covered by a special rate.

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: (1) 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.) OR (2) 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. 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: GS- 13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, candidates must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. 2. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area. 3. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise. 4. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy. 5. 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-2 Primary Care Residency (preferred) or PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency (preferred) or Board of Pharmacy Specialties (Ambulatory Care, Pharmacotherapy). Comprehensive knowledge primary care clinical pharmacy practice. This level of knowledge is usually characterized by at least 1 year of experience in the primary care clinical area or advanced training/certification. Comprehensive knowledge of pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacoeconomics, and pharmacotherapeutics. This level of knowledge is characterized by at least 1 year of experience in a specialized clinical area or advanced training/certification. Extensive 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, Part II, Appendix G15, Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard) dated June 7, 2012. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 Bedford Healthcare System 200 Springs Road Bedford, MA 01730 US
• Name: Molina Vantha
• Phone: 781 687 2000
• Email: [email protected]