Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner - Patient Aligned Care Team

Veterans Health Administration • Ogden, UT

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner provides direct and indirect patient care as a member of a Patient Aligned Care Team. Working independently within an individually defined scope of practice, the practitioner serves as a mid-level provider who designs, implements, monitors, and documents medication therapy to achieve patient-centered outcomes. Direct care includes comprehensive medication management for patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking cessation, pain, hepatitis C, and osteoporosis; urgent or same-day visits; physical assessments; and ordering and interpreting laboratory and diagnostic tests. The practitioner follows up on results, adjusts therapy or recommends referral when appropriate, and collaborates with patients, prescribers, and interdisciplinary teams.

Indirect care includes reviewing medication regimens and orders for effectiveness, safety, dosing, interactions, and adherence; obtaining medication histories; documenting findings and interventions; reporting adverse drug events; supporting formulary decisions and medication-use evaluations; and promoting compliance with medication policies and initiatives. The role also provides drug information and medication education to patients, families, and medical center staff, participates in staff and learner training, contributes to service development, and may serve on medical center or VISN committees.

The schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; a compressed schedule may be available. Ad-hoc telework may be approved, but this is not a virtual position. Recruitment incentives may be authorized. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program eligibility and approval; awards may be up to $200,000, with eligibility periods of one to five years. Permanent Change of Station is not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• A baccalaureate degree in pharmacy and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an ACPE-accredited college or school of pharmacy; alternatively, a foreign pharmacy graduate must provide FPGEC Certification, including the required FPGEE and TOEFL iBT results.
• Full, current, and unrestricted pharmacist licensure in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; maintain current registration if required for licensure.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• For GS-13: one year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 level, in addition to the basic requirements.
• For GS-12: one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program, in addition to the basic requirements.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
• Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for the program area.
• Ability to solve problems and coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes.
• Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or pharmacy specialty.
• Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing drug therapy outcomes, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical examination and, if selected for a testing-designated position, pre-employment urinalysis screening.
• Must complete a background/security investigation, online onboarding, and required application documentation.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a condition of employment.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Must be capable of working effectively in stressful situations and of taking dependable, prompt emergency action.

Nice To Haves

• PGY2 Ambulatory Care residency.
• PGY1 Pharmacy residency.
• Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP) certification or another Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) certification.
• More than three years of ambulatory or primary care experience that includes direct patient care and comprehensive medication management.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive medication management for patients with chronic diseases, including diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking cessation, pain, hepatitis C, and osteoporosis.
• Conduct urgent or same-day patient visits, including medication reviews for polypharmacy, recent hospital discharges, and co-managed care.
• Design, implement, assess, monitor, and document therapeutic drug plans within the assigned scope of practice.
• Order, review, and interpret laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies to monitor medication therapy, and follow up with patients on results and treatment plans.
• Perform physical assessments and determine when disease progression or adverse drug events warrant referral to a physician or specialty provider.
• Review medication regimens and orders for clinical effectiveness, appropriate selection and dosing, contraindications, side effects, interactions, and therapeutic outcomes.
• Obtain medication histories and communicate significant findings and treatment alternatives to prescribers and other providers.
• Monitor and report medication errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and medication compliance issues; participate in the VAADERS adverse drug reaction reporting program.
• Apply laboratory findings to patient care and recommend dose adjustments based on objective results.
• Review non-formulary and restricted-drug requests for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria.
• Assist the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee with medication-use evaluations and safety initiatives.
• Document clinical interventions in CPRS and other findings according to facility procedures and in a timely, professional manner.
• Promote and monitor compliance with drug therapy policies and national, VISN, and local initiatives.
• Provide drug information to medical, nursing, pharmacy, and other staff, and educate patients and family members about medications and medical devices.
• Participate in professional development, training, in-service education, orientation, and precepting of pharmacy learners and staff as assigned.
• Assist in developing proposals for new or improved clinical pharmacy services and serve on medical center or VISN committees as requested.
• Adhere to medical center and department policies and regulations.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000 and eligibility periods of one to five years.
• A comprehensive federal employee benefits package is available; specific benefit eligibility depends on the position type and agency rules.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to prior request and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree