Clinical Specialist Jobs

About The Position

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.
• A baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) from an ACPE-accredited College or School of Pharmacy, or qualifying foreign pharmacy education with FPGEC certification, including the required examinations.
• A full, current, and unrestricted pharmacist license in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; required registration must be maintained where applicable.
• For GS-13: one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program, in addition to GS-12 requirements.
• 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, 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.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical examination and required background/security investigation; selected applicants are subject to urinalysis screening and must complete onboarding requirements.
• Must meet applicable Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Must participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to the stated continuation-of-employment determination.
• Must submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment to be considered for the program; eligibility and award are determined by the program office. Former EDRP participants are ineligible.

Nice To Haves

• PGY-1 residency and completion of a PGY-2 residency in Pain Management, or equivalent training.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced comprehensive medication management for patients with chronic pain, with or without substance use disorders.
• Prescribe, adjust, and monitor medications; perform focused assessments and medication reconciliation.
• Order, monitor, and interpret laboratory tests, including urine drug screens, and follow up on treatment actions supported by results.
• Assess and document pain control, symptoms, and functional status using rating scales.
• Query and document Prescription Drug Monitoring Program findings.
• Screen for substance use disorders, provide brief interventions and overdose education, address aberrant behaviors, and prescribe naloxone when indicated.
• Perform suicide-risk assessments.
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary teams and refer patients for higher-level, specialty, or other needed services.
• Manage comorbidities within scope and support medication for opioid use disorder screening and education.
• Provide follow-up care through face-to-face visits, telehealth, eConsult, telephone, secure messaging, and other modalities.
• Review medication regimens for safety, effectiveness, interactions, contraindications, and optimization; provide recommendations.
• Monitor and report adverse drug events and identify high-risk patients using population-health tools.
• Interpret laboratory results, adjust therapy, and contribute expert input to complex-care discussions.
• Support medication-use evaluations, safety initiatives, and compliance with OSI and other programs.
• Complete timely and accurate documentation.
• Provide formal and informal education and in-services to pharmacy, medical, nursing, and other staff.
• Serve as a subject matter expert in pain management and SUD for assigned committees, workgroups, or interdisciplinary teams.
• Educate patients, families, and caregivers about medications, patient responsibilities, and health promotion.
• Participate in self-development to maintain and strengthen professional competence in pain management and SUD.
• Serve as a clinical instructor or preceptor for pharmacy students and/or residents, and assist with new-employee orientation education as needed.
• Contribute to safe and effective pharmaceutical use through criteria development, data collection, drug-use evaluation, and quality-improvement initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards.
• Contribute to performance-metric improvement and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee activities.
• Maintain productive interdepartmental relationships through committee membership, proactive problem resolution, and collaboration with other services.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), with an award amount of up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years, subject to eligibility and program approval.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits eligibility depends on position type and applicable rules.
• Potential annual-leave accrual credit based on prior federal work or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment and not guaranteed.