Pharmacist(Clinical Spec)

This position is located within the Birmingham VA Clinic (Annex) to serve as the PMOP (Pain Management, Opioid Safety, and PDMP) program manager. This role ensures compliance with national policies, clinical guidelines, and regulatory requirements related to safe opioid prescribing, overdose prevention and drug utilization while maintaining a scope of practice to provide direct patient care.

EDUCATION: Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ . RESPONSIBILITIES: This position will be physically located in the Birmingham VA Clinic (Annex)

The Facility PMOP Coordinator will provide professional consultation concerning planning and coordination of the programmatic responsibilities related to policy and services in pain management, opioid safety, and PDMPs with duties that include but are not limited to:

Working in collaboration with the VISN PMOP Coordinator, Facility Pain POC, Primary Care (PACT) Pain Champion, Academic Detailers, Pain Management providers, and other stakeholders.

Supporting a Pain Committee and workgroups that include stakeholders from across the facility as indicated.

Developing processes/procedures to ensure implementation and compliance with national policy related to pain management, opioid safety and risk mitigation strategies, Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND), management of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), initiatives in compliance with national policy, clinical practice guidelines, and regulatory requirements. Participates in developing criteria for drug utilization evaluations, data collection, trending reports, and other quality assurance activities as required ensuring appropriate and safe drug utilization.

Supporting review of community provider opioid prescribing practices.

Supporting OSI reviews, data-based risk reviews for opioid-exposed patients and other interdisciplinary pain care forums.

Supporting and tracking full implementation of the Stepped Care Model for Pain Management (SCM-PM).

Facilitating implementation of the OUD stepped care model within the facility, in particular for Step 1 of the Stepped Care for Opioid Use Disorder Train-the Trainer (SCOUTT) program expansion, e.g., within PMTs/Pain Clinics.

Supporting access to integrative health modalities and facilitating veteran outreach events for pain management.

Identifying opioid safety improvement and risk mitigation opportunities and developing strategic planning efforts inclusive of, but not limited to PDMP compliance, urine drug screening, and establishing population management processes for targeted risk mitigation.

Evaluating acute pain care prescribing and processes at the facility.

Tracking dashboards regarding pain management, opioid safety, and PDMP, including key parameters such as access, productivity, workload, and staffing. Measuring and reporting quality and compliance outcomes related to pain management, opioid safety, and PDMP.

Partnering with Academic Detailing and other stakeholders to monitor and disseminate best practices.

Participates in VISN Pain Committee/Community of Practice meetings and other VISN directed activities as appropriate.

Reporting to the VISN PMOP Coordinator quarterly, with a formal written report at least twice per year describing progress in implementing PMOP office initiatives and status of pain management and opioid safety initiatives and mandates throughout the facility.

Facilitating facility responses to formal, sensitive inquiries related to pain and opioid safety per patient reported concerns as presented by Patient Advocacy, Executive Leadership, VISN, the PMOP office, Congressional, and others.

Performing other related duties as assigned by Pharmacy leadership.

The incumbent works closely with other Supervisors, Associate Chiefs, and the Chief of Pharmacy to meet all needs of the department, including resolution of discrepancies, policy implementation, and meeting attendance, while promoting optimal patient care within budget appropriations.

Accurately completes all assignments in a timely manner as defined by Associate Chief of Pharmacy, Clinical.

In addition to the above listed duties, involvement in clinical care delivery utilizing a scope of practice at their facility is equivalent to 20% of their time

Work Schedule : 8 hr. shift between 6a and 6p with rotating WHEN hours

Telework : Ad-Hoc

Functional Statement # 59363F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

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) 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 : Must be a United States Citizen. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

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, 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.) (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.

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).

Grandfathering Provision . All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.

Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation

Grade Determinations : GS-13

Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. 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.

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: Completed a PGY2 Residency in Pain Management and/or hold Board Certification in Pain. Additional preference will be given to residency-trained Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners (CPPs) with experience working under a scope of practice in pain management.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ .

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: The position requires visual and auditory acuity at a level to provide safe and effective care. Use and function of all normal motor and sensory anatomy for provision of patient care, reading, writing, listening, observing/seeing, heavy lifting, bending, pulling, pushing, stooping, squatting, walking, standing, use of fine motor muscles. Must be able to sit, stand, walk for 2 -3 hours, kneeling -1 hour. The position also requires ability to distinguish basic colors, work on computers for extended periods of time. Requires use of hands for actions such as typing, simple grasping, fine manipulation, and repetitive actions. Requires the ability to frequently respond to multiple demands and priorities; emotional intelligence to respond to stressful and/or emergent situations and crises appropriately and calmly; self-care skills to maintain physical, psychological, and emotional health. SALARY: QuantitativeValue EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other