Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (Acute Care/Internal Medicine)

Veterans Health Administration • Baltimore, MD

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist/Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPS/CPP) provides pharmaceutical care through direct interaction with patients and providers, working independently at the highest level of clinical practice under an individualized scope of practice. The CPS/CPP serves as a non-physician provider authorized to initiate, modify, or discontinue medication therapy and provides intensive medication therapy management as a consultant.

The role provides direct and indirect patient care, including medication-history review, therapeutic assessment and planning, medication-order reconciliation and adjustment, ordering and interpreting laboratory and diagnostic studies, physical assessment, consult review, participation in clinical rounds and interdisciplinary teams, and monitoring and reporting medication errors and adverse events. The specialist also supports quality improvement and professional practice evaluation, precepts and mentors trainees, participates in pharmacy-related research, and attends assigned meetings and committees.

This is a GS-13 position. The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; shifts are determined or approved by management based on service needs. Ad hoc telework may be available under agency policy; this is not a virtual position. The position requires regular physical exertion, including prolonged standing, lifting or carrying pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 40 pounds, and pushing or pulling large carts, and may involve significant computer-terminal work.

Requirements

• Graduate from an ACPE-accredited college or school of pharmacy with a BS in Pharmacy and/or Pharm.D.; alternatively, foreign pharmacy graduates must provide FPGEC certification, including the required FPGEE and TOEFL iBT results.
• Hold a full, current, and unrestricted pharmacist license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; GS-13 candidates must be licensed.
• Have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, in addition to GS-12 requirements.
• Demonstrate oral and written communication skills sufficient to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
• Demonstrate expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for the program area.
• Demonstrate the ability to solve problems and coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in the program area or clinical specialty.
• Have expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or pharmacy specialty.
• Demonstrate advanced skill in monitoring and assessing drug-therapy outcomes, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
• Be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Meet applicable U.S. citizenship requirements; non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified U.S. citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Meet VA pre-employment conditions, including applicable drug testing, background/security investigation, onboarding and identification requirements, and pre-employment physical examination; participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a 1- or 2-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment upon completion.
• Meet the physical demands of prolonged standing, lifting or carrying supplies up to 40 pounds, and pushing or pulling large carts.

Nice To Haves

• PGY1 residency.
• PGY1 residency and Board of Pharmacy Specialties certification, such as in critical care, emergency medicine, geriatrics, or pharmacotherapy.
• PGY1 residency and PGY2 pharmacy residency in critical care, emergency medicine, geriatrics, internal medicine, or pharmacotherapy.
• Two years of clinical experience in or related to critical care, emergency medicine, geriatrics, internal medicine, or pharmacotherapy.

Responsibilities

• Obtain comprehensive medical and medication histories, summarize significant findings, and document them in the medical record.
• Assess medication therapy through direct patient-care involvement and evaluate subjective and objective findings related to patient status and response to therapy.
• Communicate and document clinical assessments, recommendations, interventions, and therapeutic plans for appropriate individuals and in the medical record.
• Reconcile medication orders and independently initiate, discontinue, or adjust orders within the specialist's scope of practice.
• Develop, document, recommend, and implement therapeutic plans using effective, least-toxic, and economical treatment options supported by VHA formulary resources and guidelines, using shared decision-making where possible.
• Order, perform, review, and interpret laboratory tests and diagnostic studies needed to monitor and modify therapy.
• Perform physical examinations as needed to design or modify treatment plans and assess clinical response.
• Order appropriate consults and address results as applicable.
• Review non-formulary, prior-authorization, and medication-supply requests using the medical record, VHA criteria, evidence-based literature, and guidelines; recommend formulary alternatives when appropriate and complete reviews within required time frames.
• Participate in assigned clinical rounds and interdisciplinary treatment-team meetings.
• Monitor, document, and report medication errors, adverse drug events, and medication allergies according to policy.
• Participate in assigned quality-improvement, quality-assessment, and professional-practice-evaluation activities.
• Precept pharmacy and other healthcare trainees, mentor and advise trainees in scholarly activities, and provide timely performance assessments.
• Participate in developing pharmacy-related research protocols, activities, or projects to improve patient care, as assigned.
• Attend scheduled meetings and actively participate in assigned committees, workgroups, and performance-improvement activities.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on qualifications or VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual-leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Potential childcare subsidy for eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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