Clinical Pharmacy Specialist- Patient Aligned Care Team

Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP), Primary Care Service - Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT)

The Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP), Primary Care Service - Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) is expected to work closely with all members in the VA Northern California Health Care System (VANCHCS) and will receive program direction and guidance from the team's leadership, i.e., Associate Chief of Pharmacy, Chief of Primary Care, and/or Medical Director. The VANCHCS operates thirteen community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) covering ten county areas. These outpatient clinics are in Auburn, Chico, Fairfield, Mare Island, Martinez, McClellan, Modesto, Redding, Sacramento, Sonora, Stockton, Yreka, and Yuba City. The CPP works closely with other members of the health care team. VANCHCS uses a group practice concept that combines managed care and primary care treatment models. VANCHCS Primary Care is a multi-disciplinary Product Line structure that reports to one Service Chief where the CPP is instrumental in coordinating work, assuring appropriate staffing, solving routine problems, and elevating concerns to their supervisor when necessary. The Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner functions at the highest level of clinical practice, working independently under their individual scope of practice to directly care for patients. The CPP 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. The CPP should be self-motivated in the pursuit of meeting professional work standards. The incumbent is accountable to the Chief, Pharmacy Service, or their designee, for professional licensure, competency, and continuing education.

Preferred Experience: Recent experience in a current or previous job (including residency training) that includes direct patient care and comprehensive medication management responsibilities in the Primary Care setting. Preferred candidates will have an advanced pharmacy degree (Pharm.D), board certification (BPS), PGY1 and/or PGY2 Pharmacy Practice Residency, or equivalent experience or mentorship.

Core functions include but are not limited to:

• Face-to-face and telephone encounters with referred patients for comprehensive medication management in practice areas identified in their individual scope of practice.
• Functions as a mid-level provider to design, implement, and monitor therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas.
• 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.
• Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners will determine if a referral to the physician is necessary when disease progression occurs, or adverse drug events require treatment interventions outside of the CPP scope of practice.
• Serves as liaison with Pharmacy Service, Outpatient Clinics in general, Mather inpatient staff, Community Living Center/Center for Rehabilitation and Extended Care (CLC/CREC), Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) and other related areas in order to improve communication, solve problems, and maintain continuity of care throughout VANCHCS.
• 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.
• Monitors and reports drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues. Documents findings per facility procedures.

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

Telework: Ad-hoc only

Functional Statement #: FS#: 04122F

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more