The primary responsibility of the Emergency Medicine CPS (EMCPS) is the provision of evidence-based pharmaceutical care services through direct care with patients and consultation with other providers in the Emergency Medicine practice area. This CPS promotes and manages drug therapy based on current clinical knowledge that is consistent with policies established at the national, VISN, and local levels.
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. 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. 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. 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). GS-13 Grade Determinations: Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). Examples of GS-12 experience includes: handling routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations. These include, but are not limited to: 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; trucing 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, OR Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. 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: Education/training: ASHP accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Education/training: ASHP accredited PGY2 Pharmacy Residency in Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, or similar Certification: BCEM or BCPS Experience: BCEM or BCPS with 2+ prior years of experience working in Emergency Department 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: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (8 hours); Standing (8 hours); Kneeling (1 hour); Repeated bending (4 hours); Both legs required; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Specific visual requirement (DVA Correctable to 20/40); Both eyes required; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid may be permitted)
Clinical & Patient Care: A. Incumbent collaborates with ED providers in the design, implementation, and maintenance of systems in the ED that promote desirable clinical outcomes through use of safe, cost-effective drug therapies. B. Incumbent actively reviews patent medication regiments for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug-drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes. The EMCPS will document and communicate findings in the electronical health record. C. Utilizes motivational interview skills with patient, family, caregiver and other healthcare professionals to collect patient-specific data, conduct medication history taking to identify problems and individualize care to complement patient's medication therapy history, formulate a pharmaceutical care plan, and identify additional data needed for medication review assessment and medication reconciliation as part of component provider duties. Education and Research: A. Participates in the training and in-service of medical staff, nursing staff, residents, students, and other allied health professionals as required. B. Effectively instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices. Incumbent adjusts communication and tracking methods based on age and developmental considerations. Accurately assesses and document patient comprehension. Refers patients to educational programs provided at the medical center by multidisciplinary teams. C. Utilizes effective written and verbal communication techniques in teaching others. Drug Information: A. 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. B. Possesses good working knowledge of information resources, both written and electronic. C. Maintains current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management. Leadership and Dependability: A. Provides guidance and leadership for team members as assigned in the absence or in the support of supervisory personnel when required for patient care. B. Acts as a service and communication liaison between service line leadership, pharmacy management, medical staff and healthcare personnel and pharmacy team members. C. Scans the internal and external environments to determine opportunities to enhance pharmacy services to support patient education, patient adherence, clinical outcomes, and team member support and development. The CPS communicates opportunities with supervisory personnel. Work Schedule: Rotating shift, Mon-Fri 0800-2400, may change pending service needs. Rotating weekends and holidays on-call. Telework: AD-HOC as determined by agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000000 - Clinical Pharmacist Specialist Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized