Clinical Specialist (Pharmacist) PACT

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their individual scope of practice to directly care for patients. A CPS functions as a member of their assigned team(s) and serves as an advanced practice provider to initiate, modify or discontinue medication therapy and as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management services. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic and most economical medication treatments; helping achieve positive patient centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams in assigned areas; performing physical assessments; and ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy.

Major Duties include but are not limited to:

• Treats patient, team members, other facility employees and visitors with respect.
• Responds to the needs of the Veteran and staff in a courteous and timely manner.
• Demonstrates appropriate and proactive interpersonal skills to achieve the goals of the service.
• Direct Patient Care Activities that require a scope of practice.
• Orders, performs, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy.
• Follows-up with patients on lab or test results to discuss the plan of therapy, i.e. changes in medication therapy, monitoring, and additional testing requirements.
• Identify patients who may benefit from comprehensive Medication management through population management reports and during team huddles.
• Review patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes as required. Communicates findings with prescribers and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed.
• Monitor and report drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues. Documents findings per facility procedures.
• Participates in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other staff on assigned teams.
• Serves as preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents in accordance with established policies.
• Assists in new employee orientation, competency assessments, and mentoring as required.
• Serves as an authority on drug usage, interactions, over-dosages, and compliance, to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians and students. Uses appropriate references to research drug information.
• Maintains a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management.
• Provides timely and accurate responses to drug information inquiries from all customers.
• Serves on medical center and/or VISN committees as requested.
• Adheres to all medical center and department policies and regulations.
• Manages information security within areas of responsibility to assure that computer system security and confidentiality of sensitive information is maintained, and that employee access to sensitive information is limited only to that which the employee requires to perform their duties. Takes action as necessary to report and address violations of information security.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible: Compressed

Telework: Ad hoc at the Supervisor's discretion.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized