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Summary The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) provides evidence-based pharmaceutical care services through direct care with patients and consultation with other providers on their team with prescribing privileges in PACT/Primary Care to provide comprehensive medication therapy management (MTM). This CPS promotes and manages drug therapy based on current clinical knowledge that is consistent with policies established at the national, VISN, and local levels. This position is located in Kerrville, TX. Responsibilities Major Duties: Possesses necessary interpersonal skills to function effectively with the healthcare professionals and patients within the assigned patient care area. Strong oral and written communication skills are essential. General VVC Integrated Training or Clinical Video Tele- Health certification and expertise in video tele-health patient assessment and therapeutic relationship. Directly involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring of therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas as a provider. Actively involved in reviewing patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes as required as a provider. Communicates findings with other providers and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed. Applies knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care and recognizes significant abnormalities. Expert in the principles of clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and is knowledgeable and able to make dose adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings. Coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes for tele-health program including management of health emergencies at remote site. As required, the CPS will provide tele-health assessments and treatment provided by tele-work. Documents clinical interventions in CPRS in a timely and professional manner as appropriate. Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record. Performs drug use evaluations on behalf of national, VISN and local medical center initiatives and other Pharmacy and Therapeutics activities as needed. Provides patient-specific drug therapy to maximize patient response and minimize drug interactions, adverse drug effects, and polypharmacy while providing cost effective treatment. The assessments are based on clinical reviews and objectives measures. Clinical pharmacy specialists will determine if a referral to the physician is necessary when disease progression occurs, or adverse drug events require treatment interventions. Orders, performs, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy. Follow up with patients on lab or test results to discuss the plan of therapy (i.e., changes in medication therapy, monitoring and evaluation, additional testing requirements, referral to primary care or specialty care physician). Monitors for and reports drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues. Incumbent documents findings per facility procedures. Reviews and evaluates requests for assigned prior authorization drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable. Promotes and monitors compliance for established drug therapy policies. Works with providers to ensure compliance with national, VISN, and local initiatives. Serves on medical center, VISN or National committees as requested. Participates in the training and in-service of medical staff, nursing staff, residents, students, and other allied health professionals as required. Effectively instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices. Incumbent adjusts communication and tracking methods based on age and developmental considerations. Accurately assesses and document patient comprehension. Refers patients to educational programs provided at the medical center by multidisciplinary teams. Utilizes effective written and verbal communication techniques in teaching others. Assists in new employee orientation sessions as scheduled. Assists in the development of proposals for improved and/or new clinical pharmacy services. Independently designs and conducts clinical research with the scope of practice. Assists in the training of new pharmacy staff. Serves as a preceptor to students of Affiliated Schools of Pharmacy and pharmacy residents in accordance with established protocols. Ensures the residency is effectively managed and maintains ASHP accreditation for the program when serving as a Residency Program Director. Contributes to the marketing and advancement of the pharmacy team through active involvement in facility-based programs designed to support veteran care and healthcare education/communication (e.g., diabetes education, health fairs, local, state, regional and/or national poster/platform presentations, and active participation in pharmacy professional organizations). Cont. below Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 53754-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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 dentification 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). 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. 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.) 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. 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. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). 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). 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. GS-13 Grade Determinations: Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). Examples of GS-12 experience includes: handling 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; trucing 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, OR Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following 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: Education/training: ASHP accredited PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Education/training: ASHP accredited PGY2 Pharmacy Residency in Ambulatory Care or PGY1 + 3 years > 50% clinical experience in PACT (direct patient care with scope of practice) Certification: BCACP or BCPS Experience: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (PACT) - direct patient care with scope of practice 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (8hours); Standing (8 hours); Kneeling (1 hour); Repeated bending (4 hours); Both legs required; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Specific visual requirement (specify) DVA Correctable to 20/40; Both eyes required; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid may be permitted) Education Major Duties (cont.): Serves as an authority on drug usage, interactions, over-dosages, and compliance to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians, and students. Uses appropriate references to research drug information. Possesses good working knowledge of information resources, both written and electronic. Maintains current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management. Provides timely and accurate responses to drug information inquiries from all customers. Complies with safety and environmental rules and regulations for safe job performance. Uses and maintains personal protective equipment when required and provided. Promptly reports all accidents/illnesses to supervisor. Notifies supervisor of all unsafe or unhealthful conditions in the workplace and works to eliminate such conditions. Provides guidance and leadership for team members as assigned in the absence or in the support of supervisory personnel when required for patient care. Acts as a service and communication liaison between service line leadership, pharmacy management, medical staff and healthcare personnel and pharmacy team members. Scans the internal and external environments to determine opportunities to enhance pharmacy services to support patient education, patient adherence, clinical outcomes, and team member support and development. The CPS communicates opportunities with supervisory personnel. Represents Pharmacy Services in a professional manner that focuses on the needs of the Pharmacy Service and Primary Care Programs and not on personal or competing agendas. Participates and facilitates departmental and organizational compliance with The Joint Commission (TJC), Office of General Counsel (OIG), and other applicable regulatory and accreditation regulations and guidelines regarding patient safety and care. 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/. Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. NOTE: If your school was accredited by Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the ACPE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.