The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (Pain Management) functions at the highest level of clinical practice and top of licensure and serves as an advanced practice provider working independently with prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's practice area-based scope of practice. The CPS provider delivers evidence-based comprehensive medication management (CMM) through direct patient care and as part of the interdisciplinary team providing Pain Management.

Duties

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (Pain Management) duties include but are not limited to: Prescribes, monitors and adjusts medications related to pain management. Obtains pertinent medical history and obtains accurate pain medication related history from patient and via chart review. Orders, monitors, and interprets toxicology screens and other needed labs. Queries and documents PDMP findings. Provides overdose education and prescribes naloxone when needed. Provides patient and/or caregiver instructions and education. Uses available population health tools to identify and address risk mitigation needs focused on safe pain care. Performs suicide risk assessment. Screens for substance use disorders when indicated, performs brief interventions when indicated, including addressing aberrant behaviors. Ensures referral of complex or unstable patients to higher level care, when needed. Address other care needs and refers patients to other services for other needed care, as deemed appropriate (e.g., mental health/PC Behavioral Health, physical therapy, yoga, etc.) Communicates with team for next steps and coordination of care, when necessary. Performs limited external physical assessment and performs medication reconciliation in alignment with established policies or procedures. In addition to pain management, provides CMM for complex patients with chronic diseases including, but not limited to, alcohol misuse/use disorder and tobacco misuse/use disorder; orders and interprets labs or other needed tests pertinent to CMM and makes needed referrals. Determines if a referral to a physician is necessary when disease progression occurs, or adverse drug events require a higher level of treatment intervention. Accepts urgent or same day patient visits including, but not limited to, patient medication review for polypharmacy, recent hospital or emergency department discharges, and co-managed care patients. Reviews patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, etc. Reviews relevant population management dashboards to identify patients who may benefit from engagement in care for pain management and/or risk mitigation. Provides input and recommendations as the pain medication expert on the interdisciplinary pain management team. Assists the Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) committee with medication use evaluations and other safety initiatives. Works with providers to ensure compliance with national, VISN, and local initiatives. Serves as a subject matter expert for pain management for assigned committees, workgroups or interdisciplinary teams. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm; may vary based on needs of service Telework: May be authorized based on needs of service. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States Education: Applicants must possess one of the following: 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 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must possess the following grade requirements. GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist: Applicants must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. In addition, applicants must meet the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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 Assignment: 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. References: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Physical movements involve completion of routine pharmacy functions which include but are not limited to significant computer work/typing, prescription order entry and processing, contact of patients (both face to face and via phone). Certain tasks are repetitive in nature and require multiple steps performed in succession for success. The incumbent should be able to lift and carry up to 30 pounds without significant difficulty. Incumbent must be able to stand or sit in one place for considerable time during completion of complex tasks. Complexity of mental processes involved is extensive, demanding, and challenging.

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 Jerry L Pettis Memorial Veterans Hospital 11201 Benton Street Loma Linda, CA 92357 US
• Name: Michelle Covert
• Phone: 3852017032
• Email: [email protected]