Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

Responsibilities

• Manages and coordinates comprehensive pharmaceutical care activities within the Michael EDeBakey VA Medical Center and its community-based outpatient clinics.
• Provides highly innovative and progressive clinical pharmacy services, including developing and directing clinical pharmacy programs in the Extended Care Line.
• Utilizes shared decision-making to promote and deliver collaborative, evidence-based, patient-centered, comprehensive medication management in an interprofessional direct patient care setting on a team/in clinic basis.
• Functions as an advanced practice provider with prescribing privileges as outlined in their scope of practice, working independently with minimal supervision, and participating in activities to enhance the role of pharmacy as an active member of the Extended Care Line.
• Interfaces with Veterans, medicine teams, and other disciplines in a clinic setting using various treatment modalities such as face-to-face, telephone, and VA Video Connect (VVC), with face-to-face visits as the preferred modality unless alternative treatment modalities are requested by provider and/or Veteran.
• If assigned to an inpatient unit, attends and participates in daily multidisciplinary rounds, team meetings, and other meetings as required (in person) unless the assigned team prefers virtual rounds and meetings.
• Affirms the safe, appropriate, and cost-effective use of drugs in assigned patient care areas through the application of specialized knowledge and the use of judgment in the collection and interpretation of data specific to each patient and in tactful interactions with other professionals.
• Provides accurate, up-to-date, and relevant drug information and drug literature analysis to healthcare professionals and acts as a therapeutic consultant on matters of a high degree of complexity and difficulty.
• Makes recommendations to providers to improve patient care and enhance patient safety.
• Shares responsibility of drug usage evaluation with appropriate healthcare professionals.
• Participates in quality assurance programs.
• Provides education programs for patients and for pharmacy, medical, and nursing staff.
• Supplies coverage to other clinical pharmacy areas as assigned.

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship, 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, Full - current - and unrestricted licensure, No revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or placed in a probationary status licenses.
• 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.
• 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, (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).
• Grade Determinations: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist GS-13, Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, must have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• Demonstrated 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: Completion of a PGY-2 Residency in Geriatrics, Ambulatory Care, Internal Medicine, Pharmacotherapy, Board Certification (e.g., BCGP, BCPS, BCACP, or other applicable specialty certification), Prior experience practicing within a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facility, Community Living Center (CLC), skilled nursing facility, long-term care setting, rehabilitation unit, spinal cord injury unit, hospice/palliative care service, or transitional care environment, Experience functioning under an advanced scope of practice with authority to initiate, modify, discontinue, and monitor medication therapy, Experience precepting pharmacy residents and students, participating in residency training programs, or providing formal staff education.