Clinical Pharmacy Specialist The primary responsibility of the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist is the provision of evidence-based pharmaceutical care services through both direct and indirect interaction with patients and providers. This pharmacist promotes and manages drug therapy based on current clinical knowledge that is consistent with policies established at the national, VISN and local levels with minimal supervision.

Duties

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Duties include, but are not limited to: A. Customer Service 1) Meets the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Responds to the needs of the service in a courteous and timely manner. Follows up, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution. 2) Demonstrates appropriate and proactive interpersonal skills to achieve the goals of the service. Acts as a team member and is supportive of the group's efforts at all times. 3) Demonstrates an ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality 4) Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with customers constructively and appropriately. 5) Relationships with upper management, supervisors, co-workers, and others within the organization are courteous and cooperative in nature and contribute to the effective operations of Pharmacy Service and the medical center. 6) This position works within and supports a workgroup (workgroup is considered Pharmacy staff assigned to complete similar work). B. Clinical 1) Perform as an independent practitioner with minimal supervision = 25% of the time under a scope of practice as defined by the medical center for selected disease states to provide pharmaceutical care to patients. This includes but is not limited to the following: Initiating, modifying or discontinuing medication therapy, ordering labs and other tests to help determine efficacy or toxicity of medications, designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing best evidence or VHA published guidelines. 2) Perform routine medication related activities as required: a) All tasks having to do with medication preparation and dispensing. b) Medication counseling. c) Completing medication histories including patient interviews. d) Documenting activities in CPRS. e) Extending refills until next scheduled appointment under the provider's name. If no appointment exists when issuing the refill extension, the pharmacist must have a process to alert clinic staff or arrange for a future appointment when needed. f) Flagging prescriptions. g) Managing view alerts. h) Using the "hold medication" function. i) Generating unsigned discontinued orders using Service Reject. j) Monitoring drug therapy. k) Assessing drug safety and efficacy including evaluation of physical symptoms. l) Providing drug information and education to patients and staff. m) Reporting adverse drug events, near misses and medication errors. n) Providing oral and written consultations with other healthcare professionals regarding drug therapy selection and management. o) Maintaining BLS certification and participating in medical emergencies including code teams (if ACLS certified) and emergency preparedness activities. p) Entering per policy orders involving supply items under provider name. q) Providing pharmacokinetic consultation including dosing vancomycin and aminoglycosides under provider name in accordance with local policy. r) Implementing P&T Committee policies including therapeutic interchanges and automatic substitutions. s) Managing recalls and medication shortage situations by substituting alternate dosage strengths and instructions of the same medication to equal the prescribed dose and schedule. t) Participating in research in accordance with FDA guidelines and regulations and VHA policy. 3) Is directly involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring of therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas. 4) Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record and/or to the provider as appropriate. 5) Updates the medication profile to reflect an accurate, active list of VA and non-VA medications. This may include adding non-VA medications or discontinuing duplicate medications or those the patient is not taking. 6) Is actively involved in reviewing patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes as required. Communicates findings with prescribers and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as need. Work Schedule: Full-time; Monday-Friday, 730-415, rotating weekend/holidays/late shifts Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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. 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). 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. English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). 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 Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, which include: 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. AND Must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-12. AND Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Pharmacists assigned to this position MUST demonstrate the following KSAs: a. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. b. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area. c. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise. d. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy. e. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters. Preferred Experience: Anticoag experience, GS-13 prescribing experience, Scope of Practice, customer service References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/55 PART II APPENDIX G15 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Grandfathering Provision. 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: (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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 Black Hills Health Care System 113 Comanche Road Fort Meade, SD 57741 US
• Name: Adam Abbott
• Phone: 612-629-7067
• Email: [email protected]