This position is located at the Staff Sergeant Alexander W. Conrad Veterans Affairs Health Care Clinic. The Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner of the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their scope of practice. The incumbent serves as a mid-level provider who functions to initiate, modify, or discontinue medication therapy and as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management.
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. Language. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). 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. 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. 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 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.) (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). Grade Determinations: GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Experience: In addition to the GS-13 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. 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. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Preferred Experience: 3 years experience as a PACT Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner and/or PGY2 in ambulatory care preferred. Reference: VA Handbook 5005/55, Part II, Appendix G15, Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard GS-660 Veterans Health Administration. Physical Requirements: The work requires the Staff Pharmacist to be independently mobile throughout the medical center as needed. Significant time is spent reading (charts, reports, etc.), documenting in the computerized patient record, and verbally communicating with patients, colleagues, supervisors and/or community partners. Some standing (4 hours), walking (4 hours), and lifting or carrying (moderately heavy) may be involved. S/he should be capable using both hands and fingers, be able to hear (with or without hearing aids), distinguish colors and have correctable vision.
Duties include but are not limited to: 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. Monitoring the educational needs of providers, pharmacists, and patients, and making recommendations to address any deficiencies. Monitoring drug utilization (formulary, non-formulary, restricted) and intervening to ensure formulary adherence and optimal evidence based clinical outcomes. Analyzing and interpreting the published literature, and appropriately apply the findings. Reviewing medical orders for appropriateness of the drug, dose, schedule, duration, and directions. Supporting the review and adjudication of non-formulary medication orders consistent with departmental guidelines. Conducting polypharmacy reviews to identify opportunities to reduce medication and therapeutic duplications and enhance patient medication administration compliance. Providing medication information to providers, assigned patients, and members of the clinical pharmacy team. Reviewing all medication order input fields and finishing the order to ensure accuracy and appropriateness. Participating in all educational programs of the Clinical Pharmacy Section, including noon lecture series, and staff development lectures. Coordinating and participating in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of all pharmacy-based medication and service-related studies and serve as a project investigator for research projects regularly as requested. Supporting the service line management and team development processes by promoting harmonious relationships within the work environment. Work Schedule: To be determined based on the facility needs; may include Saturdays Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized