Summary

The clinical pharmacist practitioner (CPP) functions at the highest level of clinical practice and works independently under their individual scope of practice to directly care for patients. A CPP functions as a mid-level practitioner for an assigned mental health practice area who may initiate - modify - or discontinue medication. This includes - but is not limited to - the following: designing - implementing - assessing - monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans.

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: 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 (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)
• 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
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment stated above - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Preferred Experience: Minimum 3 years Outpatient experience GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level): Experience or Education
• In addition to the basic requirements - candidates must meet one of the following: 1
• 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level - OR 2
• Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program Assignment
• A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local - Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) - and national policies and regulations
• These include - but are not limited to: reviewing - interpreting - and verifying medication orders for appropriateness
• processing and filling medication orders
• interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care
• reviewing the patient's medications - allergies - labs - and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems
• contacting providers as appropriate
• documenting recommendations and interventions
• providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies
• taking health and medication histories
• performing medication reconciliation
• providing drug information
• assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions - nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations
• documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs)
• assisting in medical emergencies
• providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution
• Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs):1
• Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice
• 2
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff
• 3
• Knowledge of laws - regulations - and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security
• 4
• 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/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12
• 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 for 3 hours - stand for 3 hours - and walk for 1 hour
• The position also requires ability to work on computers for extended periods of time
• Requires use of hands for actions such as typing - simple grasping - fine manipulation - and repetitive actions.

Duties

• Duties Include but are not limited to: Clinical: In collaboration with other geriatric team members - is responsible for the development of a therapeutic plan which is intended to achieve definite drug therapy outcomes that improve the patient's quality of life
• Pharmacist engages in a systematic and comprehensive process to accomplish three primary functions: (1) identification of patient's actual and potential drug­ related problems - (2) resolution of patient's actual drug-related problems - and (3) prevention of patient's potential drug-related problems
• Utilizes good time management skills in properly managing clinical work along with drug-related problems that may include the following: 1
• Needing pharmacotherapy but not receiving it
• 2
• Taking or receiving the wrong drug
• 3
• Taking or receiving too little of the correct drug
• 4
• Taking or receiving too much of the correct drug
• 5
• Experiencing an adverse drug event
• 6
• Experiencing a drug-drug - drug-food - or drug-disease interaction
• 7
• Not taking or receiving the drug prescribed
• 8
• Taking or receiving a drug for which there is no valid medical indication
• 9
• Responsibilities include - but are not limited to: a
• The application of a basic knowledge of pharmaceutics - pharmacokinetics - pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics to assess and monitor patient's response to drug therapy
• b
• Conducting interviews with patients or their caregivers for the purpose of establishing a medication history
• c
• Consultation with other health care professionals to ensure the identification - resolution - and prevention of potential and actual drug-related problems
• d
• Provision of drug information to other health care providers in either verbal or written format
• e
• Provision of drug information to patients - and counseling of patients on proper medication use
• f
• Direct patient care activities - including monitoring of drug therapy and adjustment of medication regimen or dose under protocol - in both the inpatient and outpatient setting
• g
• Documentation of direct patient care activities using the medical record or hospital computer as appropriate
• Distributive Functions: 1
• Screen medication orders and dispense medications - including oral medications - small and large column parenteral with additives - controlled substances - investigational drugs - and chemotherapeutic agents based on the knowledge of current pharmacy practice and standards
• 2
• Supervise - coordinate - and check work performed by pharmacy technicians - students - and volunteers - and provide back-up for technical staff when necessary
• 3
• Utilize a broad base of computer knowledge for drug order and prescription entry - as well as retrieval of laboratory results and other patient related data in VA computer systems
• 4
• Coordinate the patient discharge process with regard to medication - to ensure that the necessary medications are supplied in adequate amounts
• 5
• Ensure that professional standards - regulations - laws - and applicable guidelines and protocols are met when dispensing medications
• 6
• Includes automation distributions via Omnicell's or similar dispensing machines
• Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #:04483F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized