Summary

The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist is responsible for providing pharmaceutical care to patients in the assigned GI and Hepatology specialty. They are responsible for planning, implementing, and operating the drug monitoring and utilization programs for the clinical sections. The Clinical Pharmacist Specialist is skilled in the collection, interpretation, and application of patient-specific data and uses such to design safe, appropriate, evidence-based, and economical therapeutic plans.

Duties

Help

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist provides advanced clinical pharmacy services to optimize patient outcomes and support interdisciplinary care teams. The CPS is responsible for comprehensive medication management, direct patient care activities, and serving as a subject matter expert in drug therapy within their designated practice area.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Care and Medication Management- Screens patients' medication profiles for adverse drug reactions, allergies, drug-drug and drug-food interactions, and issues related to medication adherence. Documents findings in CPRS and the VA ADERs system as required.- Provides patient counseling to improve understanding of medication therapy and promote adherence to treatment plans.- Interviews and evaluates patients for appropriateness of pharmacologic therapy and documents pharmaceutical care plans in pharmacy progress notes.- Monitors, titrates, and adjusts medications according to established pharmacy policies and procedures; initiates new medications within scope of practice.- Orders laboratory tests as needed to monitor and optimize medication therapy.- Performs comprehensive medication reviews for indication, effectiveness, safety, compliance, and therapeutic duplication. Documents all clinical activities, including drug therapy recommendations and monitoring parameters.- Assesses dosing appropriateness based on renal and hepatic function and makes necessary adjustments.- Updates medication profiles to include prescription and non-prescription drugs, dietary supplements, and alternative therapies.- Completes non-formulary medication consults for assigned patients or as directed by the Clinical Pharmacy Supervisor.- Refers patients to appropriate specialty services when indicated.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration:- Participates in medical team meetings and provides evidence-based pharmacotherapy recommendations.- Clarifies and educates the team on medication-specific recommendations and guidelines .- Serves as a specialist in drug information across a wide range of therapeutic classes, providing guidance on drug administration, toxicities, incompatibilities, dosage selection, alternative medications, contraindications, interactions, and formulary options.- Attends and contributes to clinic and departmental meetings, conferences, and other required sessions to address pharmacy-related matters.

Research and Professional Activities- Designs or participates in research trials or outcomes research related to drug therapy and clinical pharmacy practice.- Maintains reference files on the chemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, biopharmaceutics, and pharmacokinetics of investigational medications used within assigned practice areas (when applicable).

Preferred Experience: Residency Preferred. ASHP-accredited pharmacy residency.

Work Schedule: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm (Monday - Friday)

Telework: Ad hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 62032F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

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
• (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. Verification of approved degree programs may be obtained from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois [redacted]; phone: [redacted], or through their website at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/. (NOTE: Before 2005, ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree programs. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.)
• (2) Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the graduate can 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.
• 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.
• NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such licens e by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. § 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.
• (1) Exception. Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. For grade levels above the GS-11, the candidate must be licensed.
• (2) Failure to Obtain License. In all cases, pharmacists must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the unlicensed pharmacist with the written requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. Failure to become licensed within 2 years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0660 Pharmacist series and may result in termination of employment.
• 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. Additional provisions apply.
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
• 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment in paragraph 2, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-13

(a) Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

(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, and directly cares for patients. A CPS plays a defined role in budgetary execution and serves as an advanced practice provider who initiates, modifies, or discontinues medication therapy and serves as a consultant for medication therapy management services. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring, and documenting therapeutic plans.

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-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-13.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Education

Pharmacy residency training is preferred.

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/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6, or 8 hours per pay period) that is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved before the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process, you may have the option to opt in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.