PLEASE READ THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY BEFORE BEGINNING THE APPLICATION PROCESS TO ENSURE YOU SUBMIT ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS. This Job Opportunity Announcement will be used to fill a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (Pain Management) GS-0660-13 position in Pharmacy Service at the Cheyenne VA Health Care System, Loveland, CO. 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: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens.) 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 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: ACPE 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. Grandfathering Provision: 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). English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-13 Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. The clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) 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. A CPS plays a defined role in budgetary execution and serves as a mid-level provider who functions 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. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following Knowledge Skills and Abilities (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: Current experience with medication management in Veterans with pain. This would include Battlefield Acupuncture, various buprenorphine and Suboxone formulations, opioid tapers, opiate use disorder, and Naloxone distribution. Preferred DEA and experince prescribing controlled substances, however not required. Internal Employees and Past/Current/Upcoming VHA Health Professional Trainee (HPT) Graduates (completion of a VA Pharmacy Residency Program) meeting qualification standards at time of appointment. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/55 PART II APPENDIX G15 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: Physical movements involve completion of routine pharmacy functions which include, but are not limited to: significant computer work/typing involving documenting patient encounters in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), prescription order entry and processing, contact of patients (both face to face and via phone). Certain tasks are repetitive in nature and require multiple steps performed in succession for success. The incumbent should be able to lift and carry up to 45 pounds without significant difficulty. Incumbent must be able to stand or sit in one place including repeated bending for considerable time, reach above shoulders, use of fingers, both hands and legs required, during completion of complex tasks. Complexity of mental processes involved is extensive, demanding, and challenging thus requiring the ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously for mental and emotional stability. Glasses are acceptable for vision correction per OF178 as employee needs the ability to read without strain of printed material the size of typewritten characters. ["The primary Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) involves direct patient care utilizing an advanced Scope of Practice (SOP) relative to pain management. This will include assisting primary care providers in co-managing \"high risk\" patients treated with opioids for chronic, non-malignant pain. \"High risk\" patients are those who present with multiple or recurrent aberrant drug-related behaviors and/or history of substance abuse (as defined by DSM) requiring close monitoring and ongoing assessment to evaluate substance misuse, substance abuse, pseudoaddiction, and addiction. The CPP will provide comprehensive medication management by face-to-face, virtual and telephone encounters, population management, indirect care and chart review. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Clinical Functions - Direct Patient Care Activities Maintains an active scope of practice, serving as a mid-level provider. Core functions include face-to-face, virtual and telephone encounters with patients for comprehensive medication management. 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. Advocates Whole Health ideology and complementary and alternative medicine therapies and obtains whole health training and certifications (e.g., Battlefield Acupuncture, Heart Math) Orders, performs, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy. 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. CPP will determine if a referral to the physician is necessary when disease progression occurs, or adverse drug events require treatment interventions. Clinical Functions - Indirect Patient Care Activities 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. Provides comprehensive chart review for opiate receiving patients providing realistic and thorough recommendations to provider of record. Supplies appropriate tapering instructions, Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record and/or to the provider as appropriate. Evaluates and documents adverse reactions both locally, and in the VA Adverse Event Reporting System (VA ADERS). Applies knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care, recognizes significant abnormalities, and makes dose adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings. Reviews and evaluates requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable. Assists Pharmacy, Therapeutics & Nutrition (PT&N) Committee with medication use evaluations and other safety initiatives. Complete electronic consults for clinical pharmacy services accurately and in a timely manner in accordance with VA and Pharmacy Service guidelines. Document all clinic activities (disposition, medication, follow-up visits, lab results, patient assessment/treatment/outcome, and cost containment) in progress notes in a timely and accurate/quality manner. Promotes and monitors compliance for established drug therapy policies. Works with providers to ensure compliance with national, VISN, and local initiatives. Reviews and verifies medication orders for appropriateness and to reduce potential risk of adverse drug events. Serves as drug information resource by providing accurate and timely drug information and resolution of questions posed by physicians, consultants, and other health care providers regarding stability, indications, contraindications, compatibilities, dose, routes and schedules of administration, adverse effects, drug use criteria, and formulary alternatives. When requested, performs extensive literature searches on medications and therapies for physicians, patients, other health professionals, or the Pharmacy, Therapeutics, and Nutrition Committee (PT&N Committee). Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Yes - As necessary from the local commuting area Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55009-O Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
