Clinical Pharmacist Specialist (Part-time)

This job opportunity announcement (JOA) will be used to fill one (1) full-time and permanent Clinical Pharmacy Specialist-Antimicrobial Stewardship GS-0660-13 vacancy at the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center in Memphis, TN with Pharmacy Service. The incumbent is responsible for ASP/ID clinical pharmacy activities and consultations in areas such as Ambulatory, Acute and Specialty Care.

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.
• 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.

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.

• Grandfathering Provision: 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

Grade Determinations: GS-13 Clinical Pharmacist Specialist

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

(b) Assignments. Candidates at this grade level are to be in one of the assignments listed below. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

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:
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 resident requires, PGY2 pharmacy residency in ID and/or experience preferred.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS13.

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:

Major Duties:

• The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) for Antimicrobial Stewardship (AS) 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 is responsible for ASP/ID clinical pharmacy activities and consultations in areas such as Ambulatory, Acute and Specialty Care.
• The incumbent will work with the Interdisciplinary 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
• The incumbent is responsible for managing clinical pharmacy support related to antimicrobial stewardship in conjunction with the infectious diseases (ID) clinical pharmacy practitioner, the inpatient infectious diseases consult service and the outpatient infectious diseases clinics
• The AS CPS will provide clinical support of the antimicrobial stewardship program in the inpatient and outpatient settings, serving as the pharmacist provider assisting Interdisciplinary Teams in active infectious diseases pharmacotherapy management of individual patients (including identification of patient specific medication issues such as drug interactions, adverse events, lack of effectiveness or appropriateness).
• The incumbent will provide education related to infectious diseases and the use of antimicrobials to staff in the ambulatory, acute, and specialty care settings.
• The CPS may be assigned clinical cross-coverage duties as needed to meet the needs of the medical center.
• 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 ASP/ID will be acquired for practice as a provider, as directed by the Chief of Pharmacy Service, and as approved through the Pharmacy Professional Standards Board, the Chief of Staff, and the Medical Center Director.

Work Schedule: 7:30am-4:00pm The work schedule is Part-time 20 hours a week (based on the Pharmacy service's needs)
Telework: Ad-Hoc as determined by the agency
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
EDRP: Not Authorized

Salary : $130,218 - $169,280