Licensed Pharmacist(CPS) - Medicine/Surgery

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) serves as a mid-level provider with prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's Scope of Practice. The Acute Care CPS functions at the highest level of clinical pharmacy practice to provide comprehensive medication management (CMM) in the acute care practice setting. CMM is a patient centered approach to improving patient health outcomes through optimizing medication use delivered by a CPP working in collaboration with the patient and other healthcare providers. CMM includes, but is not limited to: designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing best evidence, 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; attending patient codes; evaluating a provider's orders as to appropriateness based on patient medication profiles; inputting information into the Electronic Health Record; verifying orders entered by healthcare providers as needed; and ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy.

Clinical

1. Evaluates orders for appropriateness and drug interactions, allergies, adverse reactions, and duplicate therapy.
2. Intervenes with physicians and other staff members prospectively and retrospectively for rational, safe, and effective drug therapy and documents interventions.
3. Actively participates in medical team and multidisciplinary team rounds.
4. Knows and follows formulary guidelines and ensures therapeutic and cost-effective alternatives to non-formulary drugs.
5. Monitors drug therapy and provides information to other health professionals.
6. Accountable for medication reconciliation according to procedure. Utilizes motivational interview skills with patient, family, caregiver, and other healthcare professionals to collect patient specific data, conduct medication history, and identify additional data needed for medication review assessment and medication reconciliation.

Distributive Functions

1. Serves as a Pharmacy Service resource on inpatient and outpatient pharmacy services including CBOCs.
2. Oversees control and inventory of Controlled Substances.
3. Reviews service connection for appropriate costs and payment and applies VA local standards for appropriate dispensing and filling.
4. Assists with inventory control and appropriate purchasing practices.
5. Accurately compounds, dispenses medications, and provides pharmaceutical care in accordance with departmental policies and procedures. Participates in maintaining quality control of pharmacy products.
6. Maintains sterile and non-sterile compounding competency as required by USP.

Administrative

1. Responsible for the daily operation status of various aspects of pharmacy programs.
2. Prioritizes work and makes administrative decisions when supervisory pharmacists are not available or when immediate decisions are required with policy and procedures, VA regulations and state and federal pharmacy laws serving as operational guidance.
3. Dispenses and provides pharmaceutical care accurately and efficiently.
4. Interface with other health care providers and administrators to ensure compliance with established pharmacy and medical center policies and procedures.
5. Serves as a liaison with providers for formulary management issues and acts as a liaison between Pharmacy Service and other health care providers.
6. Actively participate on intradepartmental committees and workgroups when requested. Provides leadership on committees and workgroups when requested.

Work Schedule: Compressed Schedule Nights

Telework: AD-HOC

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 03011F

US Department of Veterans Affairs