Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - EDRP Authorized

Veterans Health Administration • Amarillo, TX

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) serves as a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner and Advanced Practice Provider, working independently within an authorized scope of practice to initiate, modify, or discontinue medication therapy and provide comprehensive medication management. The role contributes to budgetary execution and develops, implements, assesses, monitors, and documents therapeutic plans using effective, safe, and economical medication treatments. The CPS supports patient-centered outcomes through direct and indirect work with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams, performs patient assessments, and orders laboratory and other tests to evaluate medication efficacy and toxicity.

The CPS provides disease-state management, drug distribution, and pharmaceutical education to patients and healthcare staff. The role includes medication regimen review, patient assessment and interviews, counseling, clinical interventions, order interpretation, and education of pharmacy staff and VA/Texas Tech postgraduate pharmacy residents. The specialist precepts Texas Tech School of Pharmacy P3/P4 students and VA/Texas Tech PGY-1 and PGY-2 pharmacy residents.

The specialist participates in pharmacy-managed clinics, including Anticoagulation Clinic and Pharmacy PACT Clinic, providing comprehensive medication management for conditions such as anticoagulation, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, tobacco cessation, osteoporosis, pain, heart failure, COPD, weight management, thyroid dysfunction, and Hepatitis C. The CPS coordinates the Pharmacy Service's Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, maintains its policies, procedures, and protocols, serves as the facility's pharmacy champion, co-chairs the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, and reports to the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee. The role oversees program communications, education, development, implementation, monitoring, and outcomes. It also compiles monthly facility adverse drug event reports, submits MedWatch reports for serious events, and oversees VA adverse drug reporting by other assigned clinical pharmacists.

The position includes direct patient care for an aging adult population, including participation in Adult Medicine morning rounds and associated teaching teams. The work schedule is full-time, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This is not a virtual position and telework is not eligible. Financial disclosure is required. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to program eligibility and approval; the maximum award is $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years. A sign-on bonus and relocation assistance are not authorized.

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 in Pharmacy and/or Pharm.D.; foreign pharmacy graduates must provide FPGEC certification, including the required examination and English-language testing.
• Full, current, and unrestricted pharmacist license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; maintain registration if required for licensure.
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) for the GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist role.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate orally and in writing to 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 clinical pharmacy practice or pharmacy specialty area.
• Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing drug therapy outcomes, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
• Meet the position's physical requirements, including lifting and carrying, prolonged walking and standing, vision, color distinction, hearing, emotional and mental stability, prolonged sitting, and typing/computer use.
• Meet VA pre-employment conditions, including applicable drug screening, background/security investigation, physical examination, influenza vaccination program participation, onboarding requirements, and a one- or two-year trial period.
• Submit an education transcript when relying on education to qualify; foreign education requires appropriate equivalency documentation.

Nice To Haves

• Completion of a pharmacy residency.
• Board certification.
• Two years of experience working in a VA hospital.
• ACLS certification.
• Experience with antimicrobial stewardship programs.
• Experience with Adult Medicine and/or Critical Care.

Responsibilities

• Initiate, modify, or discontinue medication therapy and provide comprehensive medication management within the authorized scope of practice.
• Design, implement, assess, monitor, and document therapeutic plans using effective, safe, and economical medication treatments.
• Work with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams to support patient-centered outcomes.
• Perform patient assessments and order laboratory and other tests to evaluate medication efficacy and toxicity.
• Provide disease-state management, drug distribution, and pharmaceutical education to patients and healthcare staff.
• Review medication regimens, interview and counsel patients, interpret medication orders, and conduct clinical interventions with healthcare providers.
• Educate pharmacy staff and VA/Texas Tech postgraduate pharmacy residents; precept pharmacy students and PGY-1/PGY-2 pharmacy residents.
• Participate in pharmacy-managed Anticoagulation Clinic and Pharmacy PACT Clinic services, including comprehensive medication management for assigned disease states.
• Coordinate the Pharmacy Service Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and maintain its policies, standard operating procedures, and protocols.
• Serve as facility Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacy Champion, co-chair the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, and report committee information to the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee.
• Manage antimicrobial stewardship program communications, education, development, implementation, monitoring, and outcomes.
• Compile and report monthly facility adverse drug events to the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee.
• Submit MedWatch reports for serious adverse drug events and oversee reporting in the VA Adverse Drug Reporting System by other assigned clinical pharmacists.
• Provide direct care to an aging adult population during Adult Medicine morning rounds and associated teaching teams.
• Maintain clinical competence through self-study and continuing education.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program student loan reimbursement, subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on qualifications, existing pay, or VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Possible 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 placement.
• Potential childcare subsidy after 60 days for eligible full-time employees, subject to income and other eligibility criteria; subsidy may cover up to 25% of eligible costs, up to $416.66 monthly.
• 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 can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior