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 are ineligible. 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: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) 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. 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. 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, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, GS-13 Experience. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-12) which demonstrates the Knowledge, Skills, Abilities (KSAs) and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled. KSAs described at the next lower grade level include: knowledge of professional pharmacy practice, ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff, knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security, and skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters. In addition to the experience mentioned above, the candidate must also demonstrate all of 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 Psychiatric Pharmacy or 3 years of inpatient mental health experience 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. Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing/sitting for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs., and bending/stooping. The work may entail repetitive wrist movement while using various size syringes, vial cap removal, and typing. ["VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws The CPP is an acute care pharmacist and will work with interdisciplinary mental health (MH) teams to manage patients with various serious mental illnesses (SMIs) and conditions admitted to the inpatient MH service/wards. Patients who are referred to the CPP provider are those who may benefit from close monitoring and ongoing assessment and titration of medication therapy to improve the safe use of medications. Duties include, but not limited to: A. CLINICAL TEAM LEADERSHIP The CPP provider shall routinely maintain an outstanding and up-to-date clinical knowledge base with regard to medication therapy, contemporary journal articles, and contemporary pharmacy practice. Incumbent will routinely provide and support leadership and management oversight as it relates to the clinical programs and clinical activities of assigned personnel. Scanning the internal and external environments to determine opportunities to enhance pharmacy services to support patient education, patient adherence, clinical outcomes, and team member growth and development. Monitor drug utilization (formulary, non-formulary, restricted) and intervene to ensure formulary adherence and optimal evidence-based clinical outcomes. Monitor the educational needs of providers, pharmacists, and patients, and make recommendations to address any deficiencies. Actively participate in supporting any defined educational programs and activities. Routinely benchmark with national contemporary programs and make recommendations for clinical pharmacy service and lead program changes when directly involved in the assigned practice area. Analyze and interpret the published literature, and appropriately apply one's findings. In addition, demonstrate a willingness to maintain a current understanding in terms of the breadth and depth of the literature in appropriate clinical areas. B. CLINICAL AND PHARMACOECONOMIC ACTIVITIES: The CPP provider shall routinely provide and support pharmacoeconomic and clinical pharmacy staff activities and is directly responsible for monitoring and managing medication therapy for assigned patients. Clinical pharmacy and pharmacoeconomic activities shall be performed in accordance with the individual's approved scope of practice and shall include: Routine review of medical orders for appropriateness of the drug, dosage, schedule, duration, and directions. Objectively support adherence to the formulary and demonstrate the assertiveness and poise that is needed to handle any untoward situations. Support the review and adjudication of non-formulary medication orders consistent with departmental guidelines / policy. Routine polypharmacy reviews to identify opportunities to reduce medication and therapeutic duplications and enhance patient medication administration compliance. Routine formulation of clinical medication therapy management decisions based on a review of the patients' computerized medication profile, remote computerized patient record system, patient consultations, and provider consultations. C. DRUG INFORMATION SERVICES The CPP provider shall be responsible for providing medication information and drug literature analysis as requested. The incumbent shall: Routinely provide medication information to providers, assigned patients, and members of the clinical pharmacy team. This activity is both formal and informal and may involve both written and oral communication. Medication information consultations generally cover all aspects of clinical pharmacotherapy, including the rational and appropriate use of drugs, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, toxicology, and the management of drug and chemical toxicities. Evaluate and synthesize information from primary and secondary sources of clinical drug literature as needed to support clinical decisions and patient/provider education. Work Schedule: Full-time, 07:00 am - 3:30 pm or 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN22HREducationReimbursementTeam@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more"]
About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
