Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist) - PACT

Veterans Health Administration•Decatur, IL

4d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. The patient aligned care team (PACT) clinical pharmacist practitioner (CPP) serves as a highly trained medication management expert on the interdisciplinary team to manage all medication needs of patients assigned to the PACT team. The CPP functions at the highest level of clinical practice and works independently under their scope of practice (SOP) as defined by the individual medical center to directly care for patients.

Requirements

Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
Subject to background/security investigation.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree.
Full, current and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia.
The pharmacist must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full, current, and unrestricted licensure.
1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) VA or Non VA Experience
Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
Must obtain and maintain Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification (BLS).

Nice To Haves

PGY1 or PGY2 residency
Board Certification
Experience practicing under a scope of practice

Responsibilities

Manages acute and chronic disease states under Scope of Practice.
Reviews and evaluates medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes.
Performs polypharmacy reviews to identify opportunities to reduce medication and therapeutic duplications and enhance patient medication administration compliance.
Orders, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy.
Participates in care coordination by designing pharmaceutical care plans, if needed, and documenting interventions performed in electronic health record, allowing for seamless transitions of care and effective communication within the patient's healthcare team.
Collaborates with the healthcare team to develop, implement, and maintain systems and tools that promote optimal medication use and desirable clinical outcomes through use of safe, cost-effective drug therapies.
Serves as an expert source for drug information.
Provides both written and oral drug information to physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals as well as to patients and their caregivers.
The CPP utilizes the most recent literature to draw a clear, concise conclusion applicable to effective disease management and pharmacotherapy.
Provides the review and adjudication of non-formulary medication orders consistent with departmental guidelines and policy.
Participates in the design, implementation, and reporting of clinical and pharmacoeconomic studies and evaluations as assigned.
Assists in the accurate and timely verification of patient medication orders, as assigned, by reviewing all medication order input fields and finishing the order to ensure both accuracy and appropriateness.
Maintains an outstanding and up-to-date clinical knowledge base regarding medication therapy, contemporary journal articles, and contemporary pharmacy practice.
Provides and supports leadership and management oversight as it relates to the clinical programs and clinical activities of assigned personnel.
Determines opportunities to enhance pharmacy services to support patient education, patient adherence, clinical outcomes, and team member growth and development.
Routinely benchmarks with national contemporary programs, makes recommendations for clinical pharmacy service, and leads program changes when directly involved in the assigned practice area.
Participates in the development of quality and performance monitoring programs to support the optimal use of our personnel and medication resources.
Actively demonstrates a willingness to generate cost containment ideas and then to implement and enforce departmental and/or institutional programs to support the wise use of available resources.
Participates in the orientation and ongoing training of pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, pharmacy staff, and allied healthcare professionals
Teaches staff and patients on a wide range of medical subjects. Teaching may be in regularly scheduled classes or may include presenting lectures, preparing hand-outs, giving demonstrations, newsletters, or other means available.
Monitors the educational needs of providers, pharmacists, and patients, and make recommendations to address any deficiencies.
Actively participate in supporting any defined educational programs and activities.
Coordinates and supervises the activities of postgraduate residents as preceptor and maintains preceptor requirements according to the ASHP Accreditation Standards.
Maintains and improves professional competency by keeping up with information on new medications, new medication therapies, and innovations in pharmacy practices.
Obtains and maintains Basic Cardiac Life Support Certification (BLS).