Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT)

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) serves as a mid-level provider with prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's Scope of Practice. The CPS functions at the highest level of clinical pharmacy practice to provide evidence-based pharmaceutical care to patients.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provides an extensive range of Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) services to patients in the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). Works as a member of an assigned PACT team and monitors patients for a variety of disease states including diabetes, hypertension, etc. as designated under the individual's scope of practice. Designs, implements, assesses, monitors, and documents therapeutic plans using the most effective, least toxic, and most economical medications. Offers additional interventions to maximize patient care outcomes, taking into consideration choice of therapy, safety, efficacy, and cost.
• Works as an active member of the interprofessional team.
• Performs activities such as physical assessment, ordering appropriate tests/consults, making referrals, etc., in an effort to achieve desired outcomes.
• Identifies and documents drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues per facility procedures. Takes specific corrective action per protocol or as permitted by approved scope of practice.
• Documents and ensures timely completion of alerts, encounters, notes, clinical interventions, consults, etc. in patient record and/or other data collection tools per local policy.
• Identifies areas in which improvements in clinical services can be made and completes at least one project a year (e.g., quality/performance improvement, implementation of new service, enhancement of existing service, etc.).
• Provides clinical pharmacy consultations and drug information to professional staff on the pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics of pharmaceutical products.
• Recognizes suicide risk factors and understands facility policies regarding suicide prevention, support systems, and referral resources.
• Reviews, evaluates, adjudicates, and documents requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria, where applicable, per facility/department policy.
• Promotes and monitors compliance with established drug therapy policies.
• Actively participates in Hospital Emergency Response drills and is knowledgeable for Pharmacy Emergency Preparedness procedures.
• Works with managers to assist in managing recalls and medication shortage situations by substituting alternate dosage strengths and instructions of the same medication.
• Responsible for maintaining his/her professional competency by keeping abreast of current medical and pharmaceutical literature, new drugs and therapies, and applies this knowledge in his/her daily duties, while maintaining current licensure.
• Designs, conducts, and participates in studies, audits, and evaluations under the auspices of committees responsible for formulation and review of drug use policies and quality assurance committees.
• Actively identifies and contributes to the development of a new ambulatory care pharmacy service or to the enhancement of an existing service.
• Establishes and maintains good work flow patterns to ensure efficient clinic management.
• Assists in the operations of the other areas of the pharmacy service including distribution and clinical work in other areas (e.g. medication order review and verification, relief help in other clinics or pharmacies), as needed.
• Participates in various medical center councils, committees, performance improvement teams. Provides sound arguments that influence clinical and management decision. Attends and/or participates in Pharmacy Service and sections meetings.
• Responsible for complying with all applicable Federal, VHA, and local regulations, policies, and procedures pertaining to controlled substance accountability and drug accountability for pharmacy.
• Effectively instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices and documents comprehension. Able to adjust communication and tracking methods based on age and developmental considerations. Refers patients to educational programs provided at the medical center by multidisciplinary teams as applicable.
• Precepts and evaluates pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other relevant trainees, which may include projects, rotations, presentations, etc.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday from 8:00am-4:30pm; tour may be adjusted to meet medical center and patient care needs.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000

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: 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: (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.) School transcripts must be submitted with your application. OR,
  • 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). A copy of the FPGEC certificate must be submitted.
• 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. An active copy of unrestricted license to practice pharmacy must be submitted.

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). All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of June 7, 2012 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.

Grade Determinations:

GS-13

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

AND

Pharmacist assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs):
1. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
2. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
3. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
4. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
5. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ VA HANDBOOK 5005/55 PART II APPENDIX G15.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing/sitting for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs, and bending/stooping. The work may entail repetitive wrist movement while using various size syringes, vial cap removal, and typing

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/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.