Clinical Pharmacist Specialist

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Fayetteville (AR); On-site; USD 98,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist to deliver evidence-based comprehensive medication management as part of a Pain Management team. The CPS operates with prescribing privileges under the practice area-based scope of practice and provides direct patient care at the highest level of clinical practice.

Applicants may be referred while completing requirements, but cannot be hired until licensure and related credentials are fully met; this role requires U.S.

Qualifications

• US citizen with full, current license to practice pharmacy.
• ACPE-accredited College of Pharmacy degree (BS Pharmacy or Pharm.D.).
• Foreign grads must provide FPGEC certification including FPGEE and TOEFL iBT.

Responsibilities

• Provide evidence-based comprehensive medication management (CMM) to direct patient care.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary Pain Management team.
• Monitor and optimize drug therapies, interpret labs and diagnostic parameters.

Skills

Oral and written communication

Regulatory knowledge

Problem solving

Specialized clinical pharmacy

Clinical pharmacology

Education

BS Pharmacy or Pharm.D.

FPGEC Certification (foreign grads)

Job description

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) functions at the highest level of clinical practice and top of licensure and serves as an advanced practice provider working independently with prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's practice area-based scope of practice. The CPS provider delivers evidence based comprehensive medication management (CMM) through direct patient care and as part of the interdisciplinary team providing Pain Management. 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

1. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)

2. 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).

3. 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.

Grade Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-13, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

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

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: Preferred 1 year experience in pain management clinic with direct patients care, PGY2 Pain Management, or PGY1 with Pain Management experience.

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.

Physical Requirements

Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment

Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.