Clinical Pharmacist - CITC

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Iowa City (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in the United States is seeking a Clinical Pharmacist to participate in diverse pharmacy program areas, including outpatient prescription processing, formulary management, informatics, performance improvement, and drug information.

A critical component is educating staff and precepting students, with licensure required and ongoing professional development to meet VA standards.

Qualifications

• US citizenship required.
• English language proficiency in speaking and writing.
• Pharmacy degree from ACPE-accredited school.
• Licensure: full, current, unrestricted in US.
• Non-licensed graduates may be considered for temporary Graduate Pharmacist roles.
• For higher grades, licensure is required.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate, troubleshoot, and process CITC-associated prescriptions.
• Interpret medication orders and monitor therapeutic outcomes.
• Provide drug information to health professionals and patients.
• Precept pharmacy students and residents; assist in staff education.
• Reconcile medications during transitions of care and ensure formulary adherence.
• Participate in antimicrobial stewardship and pharmacy operations.

Skills

Pharmacist licensure

Clinical knowledge

Communication skills

Problem solving

Education adaptability

Education

ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. or BS Pharmacy

FPGEC for foreign grads

Licensure in US (full/unrestricted)

Job description

Summary

The CITC Clinical Pharmacist participates in a variety of program areas within pharmacy service - including but not limited to outpatient prescription processing - formulary management - pharmacy informatics - performance improvement - medication use evaluations - and quality control. The CITC Clinical Pharmacist may precept pharmacy students and residents. The CITC Clinical Pharmacist assists with pharmacist and technician staff development through education - orientation - and training programs.

Summary

The CITC Clinical Pharmacist participates in a variety of program areas within pharmacy service - including but not limited to outpatient prescription processing - formulary management - pharmacy informatics - performance improvement - medication use evaluations - and quality control. The CITC Clinical Pharmacist may precept pharmacy students and residents. The CITC Clinical Pharmacist assists with pharmacist and technician staff development through education - orientation - and training programs.

Qualifications

All requirements must be met at the time of the announcement closing.

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 as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - and 7407(d) 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
• 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: [phone] - 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.) 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
• Exception
• Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of 38 U.S.C.
• 7405(c)(2)(B)
• The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist
• For grade levels above the GS-11 - the candidate must be licensed
• 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
• Failure to Obtain License
• In all cases - pharmacists must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment
• At the time of appointment - the supervisor will provide the unlicensed pharmacist with the written requirement to obtain licensure - the date by which the license must be acquired - and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline
• Failure to become licensed within 2 years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0660 Pharmacist series and may result in termination of employment
• 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
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: GS-11 Pharmacist Experience - Education - and Licensure
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level) 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 - OR Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities
• Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs): Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff
• Knowledge of laws - regulations - and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security
• Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies - including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters
• 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
• 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-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12
• Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Duties

• The CITC Clinical Pharmacist works in the assigned CITC Pharmacy Group area and provides a wide range of professional pharmacy services
• Principal duties include evaluating - troubleshooting - and processing CITC associated prescriptions
• These services include but are not limited to interpretation and approval of medication orders - therapeutic drug monitoring - monitoring laboratory tests - interpreting health record data for the purpose of assessing medication orders - providing drug information to other health professionals - and recommending cost-effective alternatives when appropriate
• FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES: Clinical - Indirect Patient Care Activities Review - interpret - evaluate - and approve patient medication orders and regimens for clinical effectiveness - drug selection - dosing - contraindications - route of administration - side effects - potential drug interactions - appropriate monitoring - and therapeutic outcomes as required
• Communicate findings with prescribers and provide appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed
• Monitor and report drug errors - adverse drug reactions - allergies - and patient compliance issues
• Document findings per facility procedures
• Apply knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care - recognize abnormalities and the clinical significance of abnormalities - and make therapeutic adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings
• Reconcile medications during transitions of care and facilitate continuity across transitions of care
• Work with providers to ensure compliance with national - VISN - and local policy - directives - standards - and initiatives
• Manage medication recalls or shortages by recommending alternative medications or dosage strengths to provide substitutions for the patient needs
• Participates in antimicrobial stewardship activities outlined in guidance or medical center policy as appropriate
• Pharmacy Operations Maintain competence in all operational aspects of outpatient pharmacy prescription processing - including knowledge of all electronic medical record software - automation - labeling - packaging - dispensing - shipping - documentation - controlled substance accountability - inventory management - and Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP) procedures
• Ensure workload is completed in a timely manner and prioritize tasks both personally and pharmacy wide to provide the most efficient and timely delivery service
• Ensure accurate and timely electronic processing of pharmaceuticals to meet patient care needs
• Enforce national and local formulary decisions in accordance with VA guidelines and clinical judgement
• Assist providers in navigating this process and recommend formulary alternatives when appropriate
• Education and Research Maintain own professional competency by keeping abreast of information on new medications - current pharmacotherapy guidelines - innovations in pharmacy practice - and integrating this information into practice
• Completes - in a timely fashion - all VA-mandated educational and training programs for pharmacy staff to help meet departmental and health system-wide goals and objectives
• Participate in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists - pharmacy technicians - pharmacy students - pharmacy residents - and other staff
• Demonstrate skill at using both written and verbal communication techniques in teaching others
• Serve as preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents in accordance with established procedures
• Assist in new employee orientation - competency assessments - and mentoring as required
• Develop and provide pharmaceutical education and expertise as needed for committees such as P&T
• and for providers - pharmacy - nursing - and all other departments - as well as patients and families
• Participate in research projects as time allows including precepting residency research projects
• Drug Information Serve as an authority on medication use - pharmacotherapy - interactions - overdoses - and compliance - to medical staff - nursing staff - technicians - and students
• Use appropriate references to research drug information
• Demonstrate a good working knowledge of information resources - both written and electronic - as well primary and tertiary literature evaluation
• Maintain a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management
• Provide timely and accurate responses to drug information inquiries from all customers
• Work Schedule: Full-Time - Monday through Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized