Clinical Pharmacy Specialist; PACT

Summary

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.

• United States citizenship.
• 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.
• Full, current and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, Territory, Commonwealth of the United States (or District of Columbia).
• Proficient in spoken and written English.
• 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS‑12) and familiarity with regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
• Knowledge, skills, and abilities to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions; solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities; expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice; advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies.

• Assigned to Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT) in primary care clinics.
• Provide direct patient care activities, including face‑to‑face and telephone encounters with referred patients for comprehensive medication management in practice areas identified in individual scope of practice.
• Design, implement and monitor therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers.
• Order, perform, review and analyze appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient’s drug therapy.
• Follow up with patients on lab or test results to discuss the plan of therapy and to confirm medication changes.
• Determine if a referral to the physician is necessary when disease progression occurs or adverse drug events require treatment interventions outside of CPS scope of practice.
• 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.
• Communicate findings with prescribers and provide appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed.
• Monitor and report drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues.
• Document findings per facility procedures.
• Assist Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee with medication use evaluations and other safety initiatives.
• Participate in training and in‑servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other staff on assigned teams.
• Preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents in accordance with established policies.
• Serve in medical center and/or VISN committees as requested.
• Maintain current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management and provide timely and accurate responses to drug information inquiries.