Clinical Pharmacy Specialist- Patient Aligned Care Team

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 teams 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 patients 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

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

United States Citizenship:

• Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Education

• 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. Verification of approved degree programs may be obtained from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education 20 North Clark Street Suite 2500 Chicago Illinois 60602-5109; phone: or through their Web site at: (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.)
• 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 Columbia. The pharmacist must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full current and unrestricted licensure. A 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 16.

English Language Proficiency.

• Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d)

Grade Determinations:
GS-13

Preferred Experience: Specific experience in the area of primary care chronic disease management with 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS13.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.