Veterans Affairs Employment – Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner

Summary

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

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Duties

VA Careers – Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

Major Duties:The Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner (Pain Management) is responsible for the provision of evidence-based pharmaceutical care services through direct interaction with patients and collaboration with providers to pursue optimal medication therapy management for patients within the practice-based area of pain management as outlined in the scope of practice. The Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner (Pain Management) will have in-depth knowledge of pain treatment modalities, opioid use disorder, and medication-specific monitoring parameters for pain management. This pharmacist promotes and manages drug therapy based on current clinical knowledge that is consistent with policies established at the national, regional, and local levels. The Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner (Pain Management ) functions as part of the pharmacy team to support continuity of care and ensure the best use of pharmaceuticals.

Serves as a mid-level provider who functions to initiate, modify or discontinue medication therapy and acts as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management services.
Designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic and most economical medication treatments; helping achieve positive patient centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams in assigned areas; performing physical assessments, and ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy.
Reviews and evaluates requests for e-consults, non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable.
Assists with medication use evaluations and other Pharmacy and Therapeutics activities on behalf of national, VISN, and local medical center initiatives as needed.
Provides patient-specific drug therapy modifications to maximize patient response and minimize drug interactions, adverse drug effects, and poly-pharmacy while providing cost-effective treatment.
Effectively instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices. Is able to adjust communication and tracking methods based on age and developmental considerations. Is able to accurately assess patient comprehension.
Serve as preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents in accordance with established protocols.
Maintains a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management.
Provides timely and accurate responses to drug information inquiries from all customers.
Works and communicates effectively with others while remaining courteous, tactful, and understanding when interacting with others, even in potentially difficult or volatile situations.
Performs administrative/continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities as assigned/directed by supervisor or Chief of Pharmacy Service.
Performs all other duties as assigned by the supervisor or Chief of Pharmacy Service.

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00am-4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible:Not available

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 91414-0

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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Requirements

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.
You may be required to serve a probationary period.
Subject to background/security investigation.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
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).
Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) – See “Additional Information” below for details.

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.
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. 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).
Note Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.

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.
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).

Grade Determinations:

Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Examples of this experience include, but are not limited to: handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic and most economical medication treatments; helping achieve positive patient centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams in assigned areas; performing physical assessments; Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations; reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders. A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations; reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making distribution.

Residency and Fellowship Training: Residency and fellowship training programs in a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for-year basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists (ASHP). A fellowship program that is not accredited by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) will need to have comparable standards for experience to be creditable (Professional Standards Board refers to the Deputy Chief Consultant for Professional Practice for the determination).

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

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: Completion of a PGY-1 residency and PGY-2 residency, preferably in pain management.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15 Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard GS-660

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion. The physical demands of the work includes moderate lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 44 lbs., pushing and pulling of large medication carts, light lifting of under 15 pounds, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, good dexterity (both hands required), walking up to 4 hours, standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time, kneeling, repeated bending/stooping, climbing, use of legs and arms, operation of vehicle/motorized cart, 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 perceptions, ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors, hearing (aid permitted), clear speech, and emotional stability.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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 experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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