Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

Summary

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) at Loma Linda VA Health Care System provides expert medication management within Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT). Working at the highest level of clinical practice, the CPS designs and monitors individualized therapeutic plans, promotes safe and effective treatments, and collaborates with providers to achieve optimal patient outcomes and quality care.

Duties

Duties for a GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist include but are not limited to: Prescribes, monitors and adjusts medications under a scope of practice. Obtains pertinent medical history and obtains accurate medication-related history from patient and via chart review. Orders, monitors, and interprets toxicology screens and other needed labs; implements follow-up on treatment actions as supported by lab interpretations. Identifies drug-related problems that may be affecting the patient, to include drug side effects, allergic reactions, toxicities, improper dosage regimens, non compliance, patient's age, etc. endpoint and stop criteria, electing an appropriate drug and related therapy, and establishing an appropriate dosage regimen. Address other care needs and refers patients to other services for other needed care, as deemed appropriate (e.g., mental health, specialty care). Participates in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other medical center personnel as required. Serves as a preceptor for pharmacy students and residents in accordance with established protocols. Contributes to planning and implementation of an effective quality assurance program for the pharmacy service and for the pharmacy team. Contributes to planning, maintaining, expanding, and coordinating clinical pharmacy activities in primary care. Maintains effective interdepartmental relations by committee membership, active problem resolution skills, and close cooperation with other services in accomplishing the medical center's missions and goals. 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. Work Schedule: Varies based on needs of service Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. Preferred Experience: 1 year of PACT experience or equivalent Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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/.