Summary

This Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (PACT) position is in the Pharmacy Department at the VA Maine Healthcare System - located at the Lewiston - ME location. This position is Full Time at 40 hours per week.

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)
• License: 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
• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - and 7407(d)
• IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING: GS 12 Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements - candidates must meet one of the following:1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS 11 - OR Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program
• The candidate must demonstrate the experience or education above as well as the following KSAs: 1
• Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice
• 2
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff
• 3
• Knowledge of laws - regulations - and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security
• 4
• Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies - including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters
• GS 13 Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements - candidates must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• 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
• The candidate must demonstrate the experience above as well as the following 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
• Preferred Experience: Candidates for the PACT Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner position should have experience in Ambulatory or Primary Care settings
• This experience should include direct patient care and comprehensive medication management - and could be from residency training
• Ideal candidates will have a mix of the following qualifications: PGY1 residency - PGY2 residency - board certifications (BPS) - or equivalent training
• Current and former VA HPT (residents) are encouraged to apply
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: The work requires prolonged periods of time sitting and performing data entry as well as regular and recurring physical exertion - involving standing for prolonged periods of time - lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lb. - and bending/stooping
• Work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes incumbent to communicable diseases and hazardous chemicals common in a health care environment
• Such areas are adequately heated - and ventilated - and normal safety precautions and PPE are required
• Some work is performed in a setting away from the pharmacy where the environment cannot be controlled.

Duties

• The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist performs duties of a clinical and teaching nature - including direct patient care - routinely functioning with minimal supervision as an independent practitioner operating under a scope of practice
• Duties include - but are not limited to: Serves as an authority on pharmaceutical care in specialized and routine areas of clinical pharmacy practice for medical staff - nursing staff - and pharmacy staff
• Responsible for the evaluation - monitoring and medication management of Veterans referred by consult to the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for chronic disease state management
• Reviews electronically submitted non-formulary drug requests (NDR) utilizing National VA PBM Criteria for Use
• Participates and/or supports Pharmacy Service research efforts
• Participates and/or initiates quality management efforts within Pharmacy Service - including analysis and management of a clinical practice within an area of expertise or as otherwise assigned
• Completes all encounters - charting and documentation including scheduling - reviewing consults and finishing encounters - to meet timeliness standards
• Provide follow-up on reported adverse drug events in the ambulatory care and inpatient medical/surgical patient care areas or other areas within the medical center when necessary
• Responsible for identifying factors pertinent to cost - distribution and utilization of all therapeutic agents
• Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program including pharmacy students - pharmacy residents - professional and non-professional staff members
• Attends and actively participates in clinical pharmacy activities - i.e. - staff development - clinical pharmacy meetings - journal club
• Timely completion of all internally assigned employee education modules as presented via Talent Management Service (TMS)
• Provides in-service educational programs (written or verbal) to selected Pharmacy Service and medical center staff and providers at the direction of the Clinical Coordinator and/or Chief of Pharmacy
• Develops and promotes a \"can do\" resourcefulness helping patients - relatives - staff members and others within and between services by providing information in a professional - dependable - reliable and timely manner to facilitate accomplishing deadlines
• Work Schedule: Full Time - Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not authorized Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Functional Statement #: F2446 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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)
• Notifications: This position is in an AFGE Bargaining Unit
• This position is in the Excepted Service
• This position is on a special salary rate
• Current and former Federal employees may submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action)
• The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted)
• In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held
• Award SF50's will not be accepted
• Narrative responses to the knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.