Clinical Pharmacy Specialist- Patient Aligned Care Team

Veterans Health Administration • Martinez, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) works in Primary Care Service as part of a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) within the VA Northern California Health Care System. The role collaborates with interdisciplinary care-team members across the system’s outpatient clinics and receives program direction and guidance from team leadership, including the Associate Chief of Pharmacy, Chief of Primary Care, and/or Medical Director. The CPP is accountable to the Chief of Pharmacy Service or designee for professional licensure, competency, and continuing education.

The CPP practices independently at the highest level of clinical practice under an individual scope of practice, providing direct patient care as an advanced practice provider. The role includes initiating, modifying, or discontinuing medication therapy; providing intensive medication therapy management; and designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring, and documenting therapeutic plans that seek effective, safe, and economical treatment and positive patient-centered outcomes. The CPP performs physical assessments and orders laboratory and other tests to evaluate medication efficacy and toxicity.

The position uses a group-practice model combining managed care and primary care. Primary Care is a multidisciplinary product-line structure in which the CPP helps coordinate work, ensure appropriate staffing, resolve routine problems, and elevate concerns to a supervisor when needed. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with ad-hoc telework only. 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 the amount and eligibility period determined after review of an application submitted within four months of appointment.

Requirements

• Graduate from an ACPE-accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree.
• Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, and maintain registration if required for licensure.
• Be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Be a U.S. citizen, unless appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Meet the GS-13 qualification requirements for the position.
• Submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment if seeking program participation, and meet applicable eligibility requirements.
• Comply with pre-employment drug testing if selected for a testing-designated position, background/security investigation, onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period as a condition of employment.
• For foreign pharmacy graduates, provide FPGEC certification, including passing the FPGEE and TOEFL iBT.
• If relying on foreign education, provide a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with the transcript.

Nice To Haves

• Recent direct-patient-care experience and comprehensive medication-management responsibilities in a Primary Care setting, including experience from residency training.
• Specific experience in primary-care chronic-disease management.
• An advanced pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.).
• Board certification (BPS).
• Completion of a PGY1 and/or PGY2 Pharmacy Practice Residency.
• Equivalent experience or mentorship.

Responsibilities

• Provide face-to-face and telephone comprehensive medication management for referred patients within practice areas specified in the individual scope of practice.
• Function as a mid-level provider by designing, implementing, and monitoring therapeutic drug plans to achieve defined outcomes through direct interaction with patients and providers.
• Order, perform, review, and analyze laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies needed to monitor and support patients’ drug therapy.
• Follow up with patients about laboratory and test results and discuss therapy plans, medication changes, monitoring, and additional testing.
• Determine whether physician referral is necessary when disease progression occurs or adverse drug events require interventions outside the CPP’s scope of practice.
• Serve as a liaison among Pharmacy Service, outpatient clinics, inpatient staff at Mather, CLC/CREC, HBPC, and other related areas to improve communication, resolve problems, and maintain continuity of care.
• Identify patients who may benefit from comprehensive medication management using population-management reports and team huddles.
• Review medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential interactions, and therapeutic outcomes.
• Communicate medication-review findings to prescribers and recommend appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans.
• Monitor and report medication errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues, and document findings according to facility procedures.
• Perform physical assessments and document therapeutic plans.
• Coordinate work, help assure appropriate staffing, solve routine problems, and elevate concerns to a supervisor when necessary.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), with an award of up to $200,000 subject to eligibility and program approval.
• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families; specific benefits depend on position eligibility.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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