Clinical Pharmacist (Inpatient)

SummaryThe incumbent works out of the Seattle campus - primarily within the inpatient and satellite inpatient pharmacies focusing on inpatient care and clinic and procedural area order verification.QualificationsTo qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.Basic RequirementsUnited States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA PolicyEnglish Language ProficiencyPharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - and 7407(d)Education (copy of transcripts with confer date required with application package): (1) 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.) degreeVerification of approved degree programs may be obtained from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education - 20 North Clark Street - Suite 2500 - Chicago - Illinois 60602-5109phone: (312) 664-3575 - or through their Web site at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/(NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree programToday the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.) (2) 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 ColumbiaThe pharmacist must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full - current - and unrestricted licensureA pharmacist who has - or has ever had - any license(s) revoked - suspended - denied - restricted - limited - or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Chapter 3 - section B - paragraph 16Copy of licensure requiredMay qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)Grade Determinations: GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level) Experience or EducationIn addition to the basic requirements - candidates must meet one of the following: 11 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level - or 2Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. programPharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs): Knowledge of professional pharmacy practiceAbility to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staffKnowledge of laws - regulations - and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy securitySkill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies - including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parametersPreferred Experience: Prefer two or more years of recent inpatient experience in a hospital setting - strong clinical judgment - effective decision making skills - and experience calculating complex medication infusionsExperience with an advanced inpatient pharmacy automation system (such as Pyxis or Omnicell) - and a working knowledge of USP 797 and 900 sterile compounding standardsReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12Physical Requirements: heavy lifting (up to and over 45 pounds) - moderate carrying (15-44 pounds) - reaching above shoulder - use of fingers - both hands required - walking (8 hours) - standing (6 hours) - repeated bending (2 hours) - near and far vision correctable - depth perception - ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors - hearing (aid may be permitted) - mental and emotional stability - exposure to constant noise - dust - extensive keyboarding and mouse usage - working closely with others - working alone - protracted or irregular working hours.DutiesAt the GS-12 full performance level of the assignment - duties will include: 1.Clinical Promotes pharmaceutical care service to Veterans in medical center clinics and on inpatient wardsProvides prescription dispensing and controlled substance and high-cost drug accountabilityReviews - interprets - and verifies medication orders for clinical appropriatenesscollaborates with the providers at the front end of the prescription order process to improve patient outcomesreviews patient's medications - allergies - labs and other pertinent information from the medical record for appropriate drug selection - dosing - contraindications - and potential interactionscontacts providers as appropriateProactively collaborates with providers regarding medication therapy including anticoagulation management - renal dose adjustment - pharmacokinetic monitoring and dose adjustment - pain management - electrolyte and glycemic management - parenteral nutrition management - IV to PO conversions - sedation/analgesia management - and antimicrobial stewardship i.evancomycin per pharmacyDocuments clinical pharmacy activities in the electronic health record (EHR) including therapeutic changes and recommendations with appropriate encounter information according to pharmacy standard operating procedureCompletes medication reconciliation upon admission - transfer - and discharge - ensures the patient's medication profile is updated - and documents appropriate transitions in careProvides medication counseling and verifies patient understanding of the medication - its intended purpose - proper use - expected outcomes - and how to obtain refills/renewalsEnsures pending inpatient - clinic - and outpatient prescriptions and other distributive workload activities are triaged - prioritized - and processed in a timely manneriPromotes cost effective utilization of formulary medications and supplies and participates in cost savings initiativesCritically evaluates and completes non-formulary medication requests by using evidence-based decision makingParticipates in quality improvement and patient safety programs including patient incident and adverse event reporting - medication use evaluations - drug alerts - drug recalls - drug shortage mitigation - pharmacy related clinical performance measures - and other projects related to patient outcomesMaintains knowledge and practice to help ensure full compliance with medical center accreditation standards and other regulatory requirementsDiscontinues duplicate prescription(s) received at other VA sites and notifies other VA sites when appropriate (due to prescription duplication)Assists in medical emergencies by participating in code blue events2Education Trains - educates - and precepts pharmacy residents and/or pharmacy studentsEducates coworkers - medical students - residents - attending staff - nursing and other professional staffEducates patients - patient's family - and caregivers in issues relating to drug therapyDistributes and communicates drug information to peers and other health care providers3Administrative Provides support to and oversight of technical staff in aspects of medication distributionWhen assigned - serves as Pharmacist-in-Charge in the absence of a supervisor to ensure continuity of patient care and pharmacy operationsAssists with the development of quality and safety improvement initiatives and the collection and analysis of dataExamples include but are not limited to order sets - MUE's - protocols - monographs - and participation in committees or task groupsAssists with the development of policies and procedures that help streamline drug distribution processes4Research Assists with the development and implementation of pharmacy-based - patient-focused research studiesDispenses and maintains accountability records for investigational drugs as neededProvides investigational drug information to medical - nursing and other professional staffConducts investigational drug patient counseling when appropriate5Performs other functions as assigned by supervisorWork Schedule: Saturday-Tuesday - 10:00pm-8:00am - to include some holidays Compressed/Flexible: See above tour of duty Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual positionRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized