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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Pain Management Near Memphis, TN

Qualifications:

Creditable Experience
(1) Knowledge of Professional Pharmacy Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with professional pharmacy practice. Professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional or unlicensed graduate pharmacist as defined by the appropriate licensing board.
(2) 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).
(3) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to pharmacy experience at the next lower level. Experience as a Graduate Pharmacist is creditable provided the candidate was used as a professional pharmacist (under supervision) and subsequently passed the appropriate licensure examination.
(4) Part-time Experience. Part-time experience as a professional pharmacist is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a pharmacist employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service.

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. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English
• Education
  • (1) 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, Illinois60602-5109; 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.)
  • (2) 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 the basic requirements listed above, the below qualification requirements must be met.

Grade Determinations: GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

Experience: Must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that includes: (Must be documented on your resume.)

• (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.

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 KSAs: (Must be documented on your resume.)

• a. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
• b. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
• c. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
• d. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
• e. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: PGY1 pharmacy residency, PGY2 Pharmacy residency in pain management, board certification or equivalent year of experience.

References: VA Handbook 5005/55, Part II, Appendix G15 dated June 7, 2012.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-13.

Physical Requirements: The requirements vary by section. Incumbent responsibility involves considerable walking, bending, standing and stooping. This position is generally sedentary in nature and no special physical demands placed on the incumbent.

Responsibilities:

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until 09/30/2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be August 21, 2023. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled or the closing date of the announcement.

This job opportunity announcement (JOA) will be used to fill one (1) full-time and permanent Clinical Pharmacy Specialist(Ambulatory Care/Pain Management), GS-0660-13, vacancy at the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center in Memphis, TN with Pharmacy Service.

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) for Pain Management is a licensed pharmacist with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and completed an American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists accredited Clinical Pharmacy Practice Residency, or other equivalent experience. The incumbent will be responsible for comprehensive medication pain management and working directly with the local PACT Pain Champion and PMOP coordinator to meet patient and facility goals.

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) for Ambulatory Care/Pain management is a licensed pharmacist with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and completed an American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists accredited Clinical Pharmacy Practice Residency, or other equivalent experience.

• Responsible for the comprehensive pain medication management, activities and consultations in areas such as primary care, specialty, mental health and other ambulatory care areas.
• Will work with the Interdisciplinary PACT, specialty and inpatient team(s) to assist in medication reconciliation, comprehensive medication management, therapeutic monitoring, lab ordering and monitoring, and patient education. They also may assist with opioid service agreements, review pharmacologic modalities used and make patient specific recommendations to improve patient pain and functional status and reduce adverse effects, while assisting to identify aberrant behaviors related to pharmacologic therapy
• Provides education to staff.
• May be assigned clinical cross-coverage duties as needed.
• Assists in other patient care areas as deemed necessary to maintain the consistency of overall pharmacy services.
• Clinical Privileges or Scope of Practice documents in Ambulatory Care/Pain Management will be acquired for practice as a provider, as directed by the Chief of Pharmacy Service, and as approved through the Chief of Staff, and the Medical Center Director.
• All inpatient/outpatient orders are checked to include patient information, correct medication, dose, route, and frequency of administration. Orders are checked for patient allergies, drug interactions, incompatibilities, duplication and priority.
• Identifies, interprets, and resolves prescribing and dispensing issues, including pharmaco-therapeutics and formulary. Documents interventions as necessary.
• As part of the interdisciplinary team, appropriately renders care to ambulatory care/pain management patients, including, but not limited to, prescribing medications, to include initiation, continuation, discontinuation, and altering therapy, based upon established formulary or protocols under the Scope of Practice; physical assessment; monitoring medication regimens; ordering and analyzing necessary laboratory tests; adjusting medications; and assisting in the management of medical emergencies, adverse drug reactions, and acute and chronic disease states.
• Participates in self-development activities to maintain and increase professional competence.
• Serves as a resource for advanced drug information support and expertise in ambulatory care/pain management to other pharmacists and staff.
• Effectively communicates all appropriate information and significant events through proper channels, when appropriate.
• Work is assigned in general terms by the Pharmacy Supervisor or Chief, Pharmacy Service, or designee as needed.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. as needed by the service.
Telework: Available, regular and returning telework 1-2 days a pay period.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 50129-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized to Highly Qualified candidate.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Definition of Highly Qualified Candidates: Candidates who possess unique skills and competencies needed to perform critical mission-essential functions. Per OPM.gov, to be Highly Qualified, the candidates are considered by the Human Resources Office and the subject matter expert (selecting official) as being highly proficient in all the requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position almost immediately or with a minimum amount of training and/or orientation. (Highly Qualified is not defined by years of experience alone). Refer to VA Handbook 5007, Part VI, Ch. 3.

Job Summary