The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist is located in Pharmacy Service, Memphis VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN. This position provides clinical pharmacy support to the facility and healthcare team. The VAMC in Memphis is part of the VA MidSouth Healthcare Network, VISN 9, which includes facilities in Lexington and Louisville, KY, Nashville and Mountain Home, TN.

Duties

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (Hematology/Oncology) is a licensed pharmacist with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and completed an American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists accredited Clinical Pharmacy Practice Residency, or other equivalent experience. The Incumbent will work with the Hematology/Oncology Interdisciplinary Teams to assist in medication reconciliation, medication management, educate patients regarding medication(s) and review pharmacologic modalities used and make patient specific recommendations to improve patient pain and functional status and reduce adverse effects, assist in identifying aberrant behaviors related to pharmacologic therapy, provide education for staff regarding Hematology/Oncology, and assist in therapeutic monitoring of treatment if applicable. This incumbent performs the following duties as assigned, but is not limited to: All inpatient/outpatient orders are checked to include patient information, correct medication, dose, route, frequency of administration, patient allergies, drug interactions, incompatibilities, duplication, and priority. Identifies, interprets, and resolves prescribing and dispensing issues, including pharmaco-therapeutics and formulary. Documents interventions as necessary. Fills prescriptions by selecting the correct drug and dosage form, reducing the drug from bulk to the quantity prescribed, compounding when necessary, then packaging and labeling the drug in an appropriate manner. Exercises care in the dispensing of drugs, especially controlled substances, investigational and cytotoxic drugs, to assure that legal and agency regulations and instructions are followed, that proper and complete recordkeeping is maintained, and that the drug storage areas are stocked, safe, and secure. Reviews the patient medication profile prior to dispensing drugs and medications. Facilitates special formulations, and extemporaneous compounding of routine and special parenteral medications requiring complex preparation and/or dosing procedures. Work Schedule: Mon-Friday, 0730am - 1600pm; rotating weekends/holidays Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Relocation Expenses: 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: 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. (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. The pharmacist must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full, current, and unrestricted licensure. Preferred Experience: ASHP Accredited PGY-1 Residency or ASHP Accredited PGY-2 Residency in Hematology/Oncology Board Certification Oncology Pharmacist (BCOP). Grade Determinations: (a) Experience. This position is above the full performance level for Licensed Pharmacists. Must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). This experience would allow you competently answer the following GS-13 level 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. (b) Assignments: Candidates at this grade level are to be in one of the assignments listed below. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. 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. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following: 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/55, Part II, Appendix G-15, dated June 7, 2012. Physical Requirements: Applicants must be able to perform the following duties: lifting (up to 50 lbs.); carrying (up to 50 pounds). Applicants must have use of all fingers. Walking or standing for up to 8-hours. Kneeling intermittently multiple times for up to 8-hours. Use of both legs is required. Must possess visual acuity to read typed print. Keen hearing (aids permitted). Mental stability must be required to handle rigors of the position. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated by satisfactory use of prosthesis.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Memphis VA Medical Center 1030 Jefferson Avenue Memphis, TN 38104 US
• Name: Charles Owens
• Phone: 407-453-4928
• Email: [email protected]