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Pharmacist/Clinical Pharmacist

Veterans Health Administration | Charleston, SC

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Posted Date 11/20/2024
Description The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is seeking an Inpatient Clinical Pharmacist Floater. The Clinical Pharmacist will rotate thru the various areas including but not limited to, infusion clinic, inpatient pharmacy, intensive care unit, medicine, surgery, and emergency department. The incumbent is responsible for analyzing real and potential drug-related medical problems and implementing corrective action to ensure that patients receive optimal drug therapy.
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

GS-11 Experience
  • The Pharmacist recommends appropriate selection of drug therapy based upon the pharmaceutical principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, monitoring for efficacy, side effects and clinical outcome; and after review with a Clinical Pharmacist, advises prescribers as appropriate.
  • In conjunction with Clinical Pharmacist review, provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicates relevant findings and/or recommendation is to other health care providers in charge of the patient both orally and in writing. Monitoring will include prospective review and intervention in:
a) Therapeutic appropriateness of a patient's drug regimen
b) Therapeutic duplication in the patient's drug regimen
c) Appropriateness of the route and method of administration
d) Degree of Patient compliance with the prescribed drug regimen
e) Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-laboratory, or drug disease interactions
f) Clinical and pharmacokinetic laboratory data to evaluate the efficacy of
drug therapy and to anticipate side effects, toxicity, or adverse effects
g) Physical signs and clinical symptoms relevant to the patient's
drug therapy
  • Performs continuous evaluation of prescribed medications to assure optimal drug therapy.
  • Provides medication counseling to patients.
  • In conjunction with a Clinical Pharmacist, serves as a drug information resource by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other health care professionals, patients and caregivers.
  • Reports adverse drug events (ADE), near misses, and medication errors in alignment with VA ADERS reporting program.
  • Recommends formulary alternatives as appropriate.
  • In conjunction with a Clinical Pharmacist, provides pharmacokinetic consultation, including dosing vancomycin and aminoglycosides, in accordance with local policy.
  • Participates in quality assurance programs through submission of medication errors.

GS-12 Experience
  • Adds drugs and supply items to the drug file as needed.
  • Maintain barcoding accuracy for all automation systems.
  • Responds to pharmacy and nursing concerns related to BCMA.
  • Works with pharmacy staff to trouble shoot automation system errors.
  • Works with pharmacy staff to assist with and ensures routine maintenance on automation systems within pharmacy services occurs scheduled or as needed.
  • Routinely reviews par levels in automated dispensing cabinets to ensure appropriate stocking and mitigate stock-outs.
  • Works with Automation Dispensing Machine Pharmacy Technicians to ensure medications are appropriately stocked in outpatient clinic locations per PBM approvals.
  • Assist with medication addition request to automated dispensing machines for inpatient and outpatient use (to include CBOCs). Highlighting in the process if medication request is a high alert medication and ensuring appropriate transportation of high alert medication is followed.
  • Takes ownership to ensure contingencies are in place for routine and scheduled power and system outages that impact pharmacy automation equipment to include medication storage refrigerators.
  • Assist with monitoring the facility temperature monitoring system, and addressing any temperature excursions per policy.
  • Assist with reviewing discrepancy, override, and null transaction reports for automated dispensing machine and addresses issues with area nurse managers and pharmacy supervisors as required by local policy.
  • Assist with adding and removing users into the Automated Dispensing Machines per policy.
  • Reviews and updates all policies related to Automated System Support as needed and/or before policies are due for recertification to ensure all polices related to automated medication systems stay in date and accurate.
  • Ensure high alert medications are labeled and stored appropriately and securely in automated dispensing machines in the pharmacy and throughout the medical facility.
  • Assist in High Alert Medication review assessments.
  • Collaborates with nursing services to review ongoing needs/request for additional medication/doses to the smart pump library for presentation to the facility PBM committee for review.
  • Evaluates on an ongoing basis the need for additional automated dispensing equipment or enhancements to existing automated dispensing machines, refrigerators, printers, scanners or software.
Work Schedule: Rotating schedule To Include but not limited to: 7:00AM-3:30PM, 7:30AM-4:00PM, 8:00AM-4:30PM, 10:00AM-6:30PM, 11:00AM-7:30PM, 1:30PM-10:00PM, 2:30PM-11:00PM. Employees may be required to work days, evenings, nights, weekends, holidays and/or compressed, tours on a rotating schedule. The hours may vary per the needs of the service and will rotate.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 534-5702F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Available
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not AvailableBasic Requirements:

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

English Language Proficiency:Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

Education: 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. (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.)Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the graduate is able to provide proof of achieving the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Commission (FPGEC) Certification, which includes passing the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT).

Licensure. 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. NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. § 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.

Exception. Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. For grade levels above the GS-11, the candidate must be licensed.

Failure to Obtain License. In all cases, pharmacists must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the unlicensed pharmacist with the written requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. Failure to become licensed within 2 years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0660 Pharmacist series and may result in termination of employment.

Grandfathering Provision: All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

Residency and Fellowship Training. Residency and fellowship training programs in a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for- year basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists (ASHP). A fellowship program that is not accredited by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) will need to have comparable standards for experience to be creditable (Professional Standards Board refers to the Deputy Chief Consultant for Professional Practice for the determination).

Grade Determination: In addition to the basic requirements for employment in paragraph 2, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-11 Pharmacist (a) Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. (NOTE: See exception to licensure requirement in subparagraph 2c(1) above.) (b) Assignment. Pharmacists at this grade level serve in a developmental capacity.

GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level) Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following:In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following:
  1. 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or
  2. Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.
Assignment. A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations. These include, but are not limited to: reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacting providers as appropriate; documenting recommendations and interventions; providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies; taking health and medication histories; performing medication reconciliation; providing drug information; assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations; documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs); assisting in medical emergencies; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs):

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs):
  • Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.
  • Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
  • Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
Preferred Experience: Completion of a PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency or 1 year work experience in an inpatient acute care setting.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12.

Physical Requirements: VA Directive and Handbook 5019.IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Salary115,519.00 - 160,638.00 Annual
Opportunity Type
Job

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