Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent VHA employees only. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

The Facility Program Manager, Pain Management, Opioid Safety, and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PMOP) Coordinator functions independently under an individual scope of practice and defined by the health care system for selected disease states with comprehensive medication management to provide pharmaceutical care to patients. Duties include:

• Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record and/or to the provider as appropriate.
• Reviews patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes as required.
• Monitors for and reports drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues.
• Applies knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care and recognizes significant abnormalities.
• Uses knowledge of clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics to make dose adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings.
• Performs patient care activities, in working directly or indirectly with the health care team and patient, encompassing a variety of modalities and professional responsibilities.
• Participates in the appropriate, effective, and safe use of pharmaceuticals by contributing to criteria development, data collection, quality assurance and drug use evaluation and other quality improvement activities for core practice area(s) and pain management.
• Serves as the pharmacist subject matter expert on assigned pain management related committees and subcommittees.
• Supports and promotes compliance with established drug therapy policies, formulary management and criteria or prior authorization requirements that have been approved by national, VISN, or local pharmacy benefits management (PBM) and focuses on quality patient care in a cost-effective manner.
• Participates in and facilitates departmental and organizational compliance with The Joint Commission (TJC), Office of General Counsel (OIG), and other applicable regulatory and accreditation regulations and guidelines regarding patient safety and care.
• Supports efforts to improve performance metrics specific to pain management.
• Participates in Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) committee functions and assignments as required.
• Maintains effective interdepartmental relationships by committee membership, barrier resolution, active problem resolution skills, and close cooperation with other services in accomplishing the medical center mission and goals.
• Works in close collaboration with the Facility Pain POC, Primary Care (PACT) Pain Champion, the Pain Management Team (PMT)/Pain Clinic team members and other facility stakeholders.
• Supports a high functioning Pain Committee that includes stakeholders from across the facility, and supporting subcommittees, task forces/work groups as indicated.
• Develops processes/procedures to ensure implementation and compliance with national policy related to pain management, opioid safety and risk mitigation strategies, Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND), management of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), initiatives in compliance with national policy, clinical practice guidelines, and regulatory requirements.
• Supports review of community provider opioid prescribing practices as required by the MISSION Act Section 131.
• Supports OSI reviews, data-based risk reviews for opioid-exposed patients (including Stratification Tool for Opioid Risk Mitigation (STORM) data based reviews), and other interdisciplinary pain care forums.
• Supports and tracks full implementation of the Stepped Care Model for Pain Management (SCM-PM), including a high functioning PMT/Pain Clinic at the facility, and access to a tertiary pain center within the VISN per PMOP guidelines.
• Serves on medical center and/or network committees as requested.
• Participates in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other medical center personnel as required.
• Instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices.
• Serves as an authority on drug usage, interactions, over-dosages, and compliance to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians, and students.
• Assists in the operations of the other areas of the Pharmacy Service Line including distribution and clinical work in other areas (e.g., medication order review and verification, relief help in other clinics or pharmacies as needed).
• The Facility PMOP Coordinator provides clinical care delivery equivalent to approximately 20% of their time

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 am - 4:30 pm.
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Bargaining Unit Position: Yes

Conditions of employment

• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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 interest. In 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.

Qualifications

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: Applicants must be a graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if you are 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). Transcripts are required.
• Licensure: Applicants must have a 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

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

GS-13 Clinical Pharmacist: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet the following experience and demonstrate all Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).

• Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
  • Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards pertaining to their program area.
  • Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area of clinical expertise.
  • Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
  • Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: Applicants with PGY2 Pain Management Pharmacy residency or PGY2 Psychiatric Pharmacy residency with a pain management component; or PGY1 Pharmacy residency and 3 years of experience in pain management setting.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: You may be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• License
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' preference does not apply for current VHA employees.

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