Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application.

Duties

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The Mental Health Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS), is a core member of the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP). The mental health clinical pharmacist specialist (MHCPS) functions in Lee County Healthcare Center serving as a mental health provider with prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's Scope of Practice. The primary responsibility of the MHCPS is the provision of evidence-based pharmaceutical care services through both direct and indirect interaction with patients and providers.

The responsibilities of the MHCPS are to include the following: consultation services, medication reconciliation, patient education, medication therapy monitoring and adjustment for psychiatric disease states.

Clinical

• Functions as a mid-level provider to design, implement, and monitor therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned mental health care setting.
• Participates in multidisciplinary team rounds with the assigned BHIP team and provides drug information, observations on patient respond to therapy, and appropriate recommendations regarding treatment alternative and additional interventions to maximize patient outcomes taking into consideration choice of therapy, safety, efficacy, formulary, and pharmacoeconomics.
• In cooperation with the mental health team providers, initiates alternative drug therapies designed to reduce cost of mediations while still ensuring optimal therapeutic response.
• May initiate, modify, or discontinue medications with appropriate follow-up monitoring under authority given through approved scope of practice.
• Interviews and/or evaluates mental health patients for appropriateness of pharmacological therapy (including suicide prevention measures) and will create and document a pharmaceutical care plan and/or suicide prevention safety plan in progress note.
• Improve pharmacy services by serving as a direct contact for providers and mental health patients
• Utilizes evident-based medicine and current guidelines to promote drug prescribing and drug and laboratory monitoring to maximize patient outcomes.

Education:

• Takes part in self-development activities to improve professional competence.
• Acts as a drug information resource for pharmacists and other providers.
• Develops formal/informal programming for pharmacy staff as required.
• Provides training to pharmacist, pharmacy residents, pharmacy interns, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy students.
• Serves as a preceptor and trains pharmacy resident and students. Evaluates resident and students based on performance.
• Attends and participates in educational presentations including journal clubs, resident presentations and staff development.

Administrative and Supervisory:

• Responsible for the daily operation status of various aspects of the pharmacy programs. The incumbent prioritizes work and makes administrative decisions when supervisory pharmacists are not available, or in stances where immediate decisions are required. Pharmacy Service Policy and procedures, VA regulation and state and federal Pharmacy laws will serve as operational guidance.
• Serves as a representative on Mental Health committees.
• Promotes cost effectiveness of formulary and advises on proposed non-formulary criteria for use. Completes non-formulary drug requests.
• Represents pharmacy services in a professional manner.

Distribution:

• Assures the accuracy of drug dispensing and compounding based on patient medication profile and other pertinent factors in include a review of drug interactions, dosing, contraindications and formulary status. Discrepancies should be resolved after reviewing with provider.
• Dispense medications in an accurate and timely fashion, as applicable
• Dispense controlled substance with accuracy according to current policy and procedures, as applicable.

Work Schedule: Tour of duty is anticipated to be Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 5:00pm. May be required to work variable tours of duty including evenings, weekends and holidays based on the needs of the service.

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 21375F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for highly qualified, eligible applicants

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [redacted], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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.
  
  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 or on track to complete advanced degree from an accredited program by the time of hire. 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 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.)
  2. 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.
  
  • 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 license 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.

Grade Determinations: The following is used to determine if you meet the grade requirements for this position.

Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Experience at this level includes: reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacting providers as appropriate; documenting recommendations and interventions; providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies; taking health and medication histories; performing medication reconciliation; providing drug information; assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations; documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs); assisting in medical emergencies; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level listed above, 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.

Preferred Experience:

• PGY 2 Residency Completion in Psychiatry or equivalent work history
• Current prescribing privileges in the mental health care setting
• Pharmacy Board Certification (i.e. BCPS, BCPP) or equivalent
• Lean Six Sigma training completion

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: The physical demands of the work includes: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; light lifting, under 15 pounds; moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; pushing up to 4 hours; reaching above shoulder; use of fingers, good dexterity (both hands required); walking, up to 4 hours; standing, 6 hours prolonged; kneeling; repeated bending; climbing, use of legs and arms; operation of vehicle; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20; specific visual requirement, ability to read fine print on labels; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted); clear speech; and emotional stability.

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, vis