Summary

The Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) will be assigned to Patient Aligned Care Teams(PACT) in the primary care clinics. Teams are located in the main clinic and associated community-based outlying clinics. The CPP will be consulted by their team(s) for comprehensive medication management of complex patients with chronic diseases commonly seen in the primary care setting. The location of the pharmacist can be negotiable within the Iron Mountain catchment area.

Qualifications

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
• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacy technicians appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2 - section D - paragraph 5a - 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
• 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
• IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE - YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING GRADE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION
• GS-13 Grade Requirements: In addition to the GS-12 requirements - which is Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program or 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level - you must have 1 year of experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) which include but not limited to: 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
• Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies - including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters
• Preferred Experience PGY-1 or PGY-2 Pharmacy Practice Residency Previous experience practicing independently with SCOPE of Practice References: https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ LICENSED PHARMACIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-660 Veterans Health Administration The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13
• Physical Requirements: The work involves prolonged periods of standing with some walking of generally short distances
• There may be occasional lifting of weights up to 30 lbs
• There may be mental fatigue due to repetitive screening and interpretation of medication orders.

Duties

• The Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) functions at the highest level of clinical practice - works independently under their individual scope of practice to directly care for patients
• A CPP functions as a member of their assigned team(s) and serves as an advanced practice provider to initiate - modify or discontinue medication therapy and as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management services
• This includes - but is not limited to - the following: 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
• Customer Service: a
• Treats patient - team members - other facility employees and visitors with respect
• b
• Responds to the needs of the Veteran and staff in a courteous and timely manner
• c
• Demonstrates appropriate and proactive interpersonal skills to achieve the goals of the service
• d
• Acts as a team member and is always supportive of the group's efforts
• e
• Demonstrates an ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality
• Clinical - Direct Patient Care Activities that require a scope of practice: a
• Core functions include face-to-face and telephone encounters with referred patients - for comprehensive medication management in practice areas identified in their individual scope of practice
• b
• Functions as a mid-level provider to design - implement - and monitor therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas
• c
• Orders - performs - reviews - and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy
• d
• Follows-up with patients on lab or test results to discuss the plan of therapy - i.e
• changes in medication therapy - monitoring - and additional testing requirements
• e
• CPPs will determine if a referral to the physician is necessary when disease progression occurs - or adverse drug events require treatment interventions outside of the CPP scope of practice
• Clinical - Indirect Patient Care Activities: a
• Identify patients who may benefit from comprehensive Medication management through population management reports and during team huddles
• b
• Review patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness - drug selection - dosing - contraindications - side effects - potential drug interactions - and therapeutic outcomes as required
• Communicates findings with prescribers and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed
• c
• Monitor and report drug errors - adverse drug reactions - allergies - and patient compliance issues
• Documents findings per facility procedures
• d
• Apply knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care - recognizes significant abnormalities - and makes dose adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings
• e
• Reviews and evaluates requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable
• f
• Assists Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee with medication use evaluations and other safety initiatives
• g
• Promotes and monitors compliance for established drug therapy policies
• h
• Works with providers to ensure compliance with national - VISN - and local initiatives 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
• Has a good working knowledge of information resources - both written and electronic
• c
• Maintains a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management
• d
• Provides timely and accurate responses to drug information inquiries from all customers
• e
• Other duties assigned Work Schedule: The tour of duty for this position is typically Monday - Friday - 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m
• Additional information may be provided during the interview process
• Telework Eligible Ad- hoc as determined by the agency policy
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 02723F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws