The Clinical Pharmacist will be located within Pharmacy Service at the Ralph H. Johnson VA medical center and supports the distribution and monitoring of medication within this facility.

Duties

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Provides clinical coverage in several wards/clinics as assigned including but not limited to internal medicine, hematology/oncology, surgery, mental health, ICU, and emergency department. Provides a higher level of clinical pharmacy practice by demonstrating advanced skills in medication management services and offering expert knowledge on pharmacology, therapeutics, drug-drug interactions, medication safety, compatibility guidelines and aseptic techniques. Performs comprehensive assessment of patients upon admission to the hospital and as necessary during hospitalization for appropriateness of pharmacologic therapy. Designs, implements, monitors, and documents pharmaceutical care plans to achieve positive, Actively contributes on multidisciplinary team rounds to provide drug information, observe and monitor patient response to therapy, and make appropriate recommendations regarding treatment alternatives or additional interventions to maximize patient care outcomes. Reviews electronic medical record to monitor for appropriateness of drug therapy, including evaluation for adverse drug reactions, drug-drug and dug food interactions, disease due to iatrogenic cause, drug duplication, and unnecessary polypharmacy. Performs patient interviews including medication histories and provides education and counseling, specifically addressing compliance, instructions on how to take medications, indications for use and what to expect, including adverse effects. Actively engaged with providers and patients in the medication reconciliation process to promote patient safety and ensure adherence with regulatory & quality standards. Serves as a consultant for therapeutic dosing and monitoring of anticoagulation therapy, vancomycin & aminoglycoside antibiotic therapy, adjustments for renal & hepatic insufficiency, and other medications which may require more intensive medication management. Independently operates within clinical scope of practice and/or consults with physicians regarding dosing changes when indicated. Effectively communicates with providers to establish positive inter professional relationships, influence clinical care decisions, and solve technical issues related to clinical practice independently as needed. Incorporates pharmacoeconomic considerations into clinical practice to promote cost effective and evidenced-based therapy, considering but not limited to drug selection, dosage form, administration frequency, duration of therapy, monitoring, and efficacy. Ensures adherence with the VA formulary and P&T committee drug therapy & policy recommendations, including therapeutic interchanges and automatic substitutions procedures. Recommends alternative medications as needed and reviews all non-formulary or restricted-use medication requests for appropriateness. Provides patient and/or provider education where needed. Documents all clinical interventions/suggestions in the patients' medical record. Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possession of the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status. Accurately interprets information needed to identify each patient's requirements. Relative to his or her age-specific needs and appropriately provides care as described in the unit's/area's/department's policies and procedures. Identifies, reports, and appropriately manages medication-related complications, adverse drug reactions or events, and medication errors. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 52432F Incentives: EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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

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 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.) Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree program : that meets 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. Grandfather Provision: 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. References: PART II APPENDIX G15 EFFECTIVE DATE: June 7, 2012 LICENSED The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13. 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/.

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. Program 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

Contacts

• Address Ralph H Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 109 Bee Street Charleston, SC 29401 US
• Name: Spencer Lane
• Phone: 317-709-7548
• Email: [email protected]