Pharmacist(Clinical Spec)- Pain Management/Pain/SUD

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. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

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The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) is an advanced practice provider who independently delivers comprehensive medication management for patients with pain +/- substance use disorders (SUD). They design and monitor therapeutic plans, prescribe and adjust medications, perform assessments, order tests, and collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to improve patient function and safety.

Clinical - Direct Patient Care Activities

• Provides advanced comprehensive medication management (CMM) for chronic pain conditions.
• Prescribes, adjusts, and monitors medications; performs focused assessments and medication reconciliation.
• Orders, monitors, and interprets labs including urine drug screens; implements follow-up on treatment actions as supported by lab interpretations.
• Performs rating scales on pain control, symptoms and functional status.
• Queries and documents Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (POMP) findings.
• Screens for SUD, performs brief interventions, addresses aberrant behaviors provides overdose education, and prescribes naloxone when indicated.
• Performs suicide risk assessments
• Coordinates care within the interdisciplinary team and makes referrals for higher-level or specialty care when indicated.
• 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.).
• Manages co-morbidities within scope; supports MOUD screening and education
• Follows up via face-to-face, telehealth, eConsult, telephone, secure messaging and other modalities to provide patient care.

Clinical - Indirect Patient Care Activities

• Reviews medication regimens for safety, effectiveness, potential interactions or contraindications, and optimization; provides recommendations.
• Monitors and reports adverse drug events; identifies high-risk patients using population health tools.
• Interprets labs and adjusts therapy; contributes expert input to complex care discussions.
• Supports medication use evaluations, safety initiatives, and compliance with OSI and other programs.
• Completes timely, accurate documentation.

Education

• Provides formal and informal education and in-services to pharmacy, medical, nursing and other staff as requested.
• Serves as a subject matter expert for pain management and SUD for assigned committees, workgroups or interdisciplinary teams.
• Provides education to patients, their families and caregivers about medications, patient responsibilities, and information on health promotion.
• Participates in self-development activities to maintain and strengthen professional competence in pain management and SUD.
• Willing to serve as a clinical instructor or preceptor for pharmacy students and/or residents.
• Assists in new employee orientation education sessions as needed.

Program Management & Administration

• Contributes to the appropriate, effective, and safe use of pharmaceuticals through criteria development, data collection, drug use evaluation, and other quality improvement initiatives as assigned.
• Ensures compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards.
• Contributes to performance metric improvement and Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P& T) committee activities.
• Maintains productive interdepartmental relationships through committee membership, proactive problem resolution, and close collaboration with other services in support of the medical center's mission and goals.

Work Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:00am-4;30pm

Compressed/Flexible:

Telework: Ad-Hoc only

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 11372F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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 identification 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

Preferred Experience: PGY-1 Residency and completion of a PGY-2 Residency in Pain Management or equivalent training.

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:

1. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

2. English Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

3. 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 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 2 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 InternetBased Test (TOEFL iBT).

4. 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. a7 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.

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. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

1. Employees grandfathered into the GS-0660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
3. If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations:GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

• Experience or Education: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level:
  
  1. 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or
  2. Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs):
  
  1. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
  2. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
  3. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
  4. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
  5. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is 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. 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).

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/.

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) which 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 experienc