Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (PACT)

Veterans Health Administration • Hines, IL

2d • Onsite

About The Position

This position serves as a PACT Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) within Pharmacy Service at Edward Hines, Jr. Hospital and the Oak Lawn Community Based Outpatient Clinic. The CPP provides patient-centered comprehensive medication management in outpatient primary care and collaborates with patients and healthcare providers to optimize medication use and health outcomes. The practitioner designs, implements, and monitors therapeutic drug plans through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned practice areas.

The role includes direct and indirect patient care, medication dispensing and distribution, education and training, and administrative and technical support. The CPP provides comprehensive medication management through in-person and virtual encounters, while the position itself is not virtual and does not offer telework. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with anticipated driving to the Oak Lawn CBOC two days per week.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Graduation from an ACPE-accredited college or school of pharmacy with a BS Pharmacy and/or Pharm.D.; alternatively, foreign pharmacy graduates must provide FPGEC certification, including FPGEE and TOEFL iBT requirements.
• Full, current, and unrestricted pharmacist license in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; maintain current registration if required for licensure.
• At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 level for the GS-13 grade determination.
• Experience handling routine medication-related activities in accordance with applicable policies and regulations; designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring, and documenting evidence-based therapeutic plans; and supporting patient-centered outcomes through interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams.
• Experience performing physical assessments, evaluating provider orders against patient medication profiles, entering information in the Electronic Health Record, verifying provider-entered orders as needed, and ordering laboratory and other tests to assess medication efficacy and toxicity.
• Understanding of current practice standards, including applicable ASHP, Joint Commission, VA PBM, VHA, hospital, EPRP, and quality-measure standards, and ability to advise on their impact on patient care.
• 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 in the program area or clinical specialty.
• 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.
• Pass a pre-employment physical examination and required background/security investigation; selected applicants must complete onboarding and applicable testing requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program and complete the application and pre-employment documentation requirements.
• Meet the physical demands of the role, including prolonged sitting and computer use, walking within the medical center, frequent twisting, turning, and bending or stooping, and lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling equipment or supplies weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Wear appropriate respiratory and other personal protective equipment, including N-95s or PAPRs, as required by policy.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period if selected.

Nice To Haves

• PGY-1 or PGY-2 residency and/or equivalent work experience.
• Board certification relevant to the position, such as BCACP or BCPS.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, monitor, and adjust individualized medication-therapy plans with patients, prescribers, and the interdisciplinary care team.
• Order, review, and interpret clinical measurements, laboratory results, diagnostic studies, medication histories, and prescription-monitoring data to support treatment decisions.
• Initiate, modify, continue, or discontinue medications, vaccines, devices, and supplies within the approved scope of practice, including in urgent and high-risk situations.
• Provide comprehensive medication management through in-person and virtual encounters, complete follow-up, and coordinate medication reconciliation and transitions of care.
• Evaluate therapeutic effectiveness, safety, adherence, interactions, contraindications, adverse reactions, and medication errors; report concerns and communicate recommendations or alternatives to the care team.
• Educate patients through individualized counseling and motivational interviewing, confirm understanding, and refer complex or unstable patients for higher-level care when appropriate.
• Document care plans, interventions, findings, and outcomes in the electronic health record and other required systems in accordance with policies and productivity expectations.
• Evaluate formulary, non-formulary, restricted, and high-cost medication requests and support drug-use criteria for clinically appropriate, safe, effective, and cost-conscious care.
• Develop and communicate medication-use criteria, clinical findings, and recommendations to healthcare providers and practitioner groups.
• Process electronic medication orders and verify patient information, medication, dose, route, frequency, allergies, interactions, incompatibilities, duplication, and priority.
• Identify and resolve prescribing, dispensing, pharmacotherapy, and formulary issues and document interventions within required timeframes.
• Assist with coordinating pharmacy technicians and volunteers preparing, labeling, dispensing, manufacturing, and delivering medications and supplies.
• Dispense controlled substances accurately and in accordance with current policies and procedures; do not verify, check, or release an order personally prescribed by the practitioner.
• Precept students and PGY-1/PGY-2 residents while maintaining ASHP-aligned qualifications; promote pharmacy practice and educate teams on PACT and CPP processes.
• Develop and deliver training for healthcare professionals; support policy compliance and improvements to clinical pharmacy services.
• Present or publish project and research results when possible, and provide advanced pharmacotherapy education, drug information, and literature reviews.
• Complete mandatory training and maintain required documentation; follow infection-control, safety, environmental, recycling, and hazardous-medication procedures.
• Collaborate on drug-use improvement programs and medication-use evaluations; track cost reductions and cost avoidance.
• Manage the formulary and promote appropriate medication use; support quality improvement through criteria development, data collection, and evaluation.
• Complete assigned duties and systems training on time; supervise clinical technical support, including automated dispensing and BCMA systems.
• Provide age-appropriate care based on patient needs and service policies; serve on interdisciplinary committees and workgroups as a subject-matter expert.
• Participate in professional practice evaluations and peer review as assigned, and perform other related duties as assigned.
• Drive to the Oak Lawn CBOC on an anticipated schedule of two days per week.
• Support waste reduction, conservation, environmental-law compliance, and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Comprehensive federal employee benefits package; specific eligibility and benefits depend on the position and are available from the hiring agency.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment and not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

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