Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist)

Job Details

Qualifications & Requirements

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: 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.) 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 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. (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.) English Language Proficiency - must be proficient in spoken and written English Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements the following criteria must be met: Experience. One (1) full year of creditable experience at the next lower level (GS-12) or equivalent, directly related to the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist position which includes proven professional pharmacy practice; communicating orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff; proven 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 OR completion of 1 year Post Pharm D. ASHP accredited Residency in the specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice. In addition 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: Experience with Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) committees or similar bodies involved in formulary decisions. Several years of clinical pharmacy experience, particularly in a healthcare system or hospital setting. Actively working in pharmacy practice, formulary management, or Pharmacoeconomics in the last two years. References: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Position Overview

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) at the Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) functions in the operations section of the Pharmacy service line and will use their knowledge of current developments in field of pharmacy to develop, implement, and coordinate clinical pharmacy and medication safety initiatives to ensure safe appropriate medication use processes for patients while providing clinical, organizational, educational, and administrative services for the pharmacy department.

Duties

• A Clinical Pharmacy Specialist is responsible for planning, implementing and operating the medicine drug monitoring and utilization programs. He/she is the internal medicine expert in all areas related to medications utilized in general medicine patient care areas and functions as a consultant to other health care professionals. The incumbent functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their scope of practice as defined by the individual medical center to directly care for patients. Duties include, but not limited to: Program Management Communicates orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decision. Maintains expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area. Solves problems, coordinates and organizes responsibilities to maximize outcomes in by formulary management. Maintains expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy. Develops, upgrades, and disseminates acceptable criteria for the use of non-formulary medications and other high-cost medications and products to ensure cost-effective therapy without compromising the overall quality of patient care. Utilizes specialized knowledge of drug therapies to critically review non-formulary drug requests according to criteria for use for appropriateness, safety, and cost-effectiveness. Utilizes evidence-based decision making. Conducts prospective/retrospective drug use evaluations of high-use, high cost, or high-risk drugs. Prepares and reports data, makes recommendations for corrective action, and develops education programs/interventions that would alter suboptimal prescribing or work patterns per established processes. Assists with managing drug shortages, conversions, and recalls affecting inpatient, outpatient, and CMOP Pharmacy. Clinical Practice Maintains advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameter. Evaluates orders for appropriateness and drug interactions, allergies and adverse reactions, and duplicate therapy. Accountable for medication reconciliation according to facility policy. Demonstrates competence in differentiating individual patient pharmaceutical care needs based on patient age from adult (18-64) through geriatric (65+ ). Verifies accuracy and appropriateness of medication orders and prescriptions during order finishing. Consults with medical center staff when there are questions concerning therapeutic or policy matters regarding outpatient prescriptions. Assures the accuracy of drug dispensing of medications based upon Veteran's history and medication profile review, good clinical practice, and other pertinent factors. This includes (but is not limited to) data entry into the computer, screening orders for drug-drug and drug-food interactions, dosing errors, allergies, incompatibilities, contraindications, and formulary availability. Clinical Education and Scholarly Activities: Serves as a preceptor and shares responsibility for training, guidance and evaluation of Ambulatory Care Students when applicable. Serves as a preceptor/trainer for visiting healthcare professionals or students who want to broaden their knowledge and skills and/or establish their own clinical practice in the designated practice area. Assumes an active role in staff development of peers and provides educational opportunities to nursing, medical staff and to other ancillary services. Presents at local, state, regional or national meetings. Administrative Support and Customer Service Serves as a resource between Pharmacy Service and all health care providers. Provides leadership on facility committees when requested. Ensures that VA, hospital, and service policies are followed. Maintains excellent working relationship with department and organization staff. Provides prompt and personal attention to each patient. Responds to request for assistance from patients, families, and staff in a friendly and cooperative manner. Performs other duties as assigned by management. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Central Standard Time Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:PD02154F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required