Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Pain

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - Pain

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Salary Range: $139395 - $181215 Per Year

Job Summary: The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Pain manages medication for patients with pain via face-to-face, telephone, CVT, or VA Video Connect encounters, and provides consultations. They work with a multidisciplinary team to optimize outcomes and serve as an educational resource. They ensure compliance with policies, verify orders, educate patients, review profiles, supervise technicians, and provide drug information.

Major Duties:

• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws a. Direct and Indirect Patient Care Functions Serves as a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS), Pain, applying advanced expertise in pain management to optimize patient care. Functions as an advanced practitioner within an approved scope of practice, providing direct patient care through face-to-face and non-face-to-face encounters. Documents all patient care activities in accordance with medical center policy. Collaborates with physicians and other healthcare professionals in the management of patients with pain. Provides written and verbal consultation to support rational, evidence-based medication selection. Designs, implements, and monitors individualized therapeutic plans under the scope of practice and appropriate physician involvement. Determines medication selection, dosing, laboratory monitoring, and therapeutic endpoints. Develops care plans using comprehensive patient-specific information and accepted clinical practice principles. Ensures therapeutic plans align with national, VISN, and local policies and guidelines. Identifies, evaluates, and manages adverse drug reactions related to pain medications. Adjusts pharmacotherapy to optimize safety and efficacy. Critically evaluates medical and pharmaceutical literature to inform clinical decision-making. Plans, develops, and maintains effective clinical pharmacy programs that promote rational, cost-effective pharmacotherapy. Collaborates with services and initiatives within the OKC VA Health Care System, including the multidisciplinary Pain PACT. Establishes and maintains patient data through medication histories, physical assessment, and ongoing monitoring of drug therapy. Documents findings in the electronic medical record. Utilizes national, VISN, and local dashboards to identify patients appropriate for pharmacotherapy services. Identifies opportunities for quality improvement and process enhancement. Serves as a liaison for Pharmacy Service. b. Education and Training Functions Assesses and addresses patient and family educational needs to support achievement of therapeutic goals. Provides specialized education and training to healthcare professionals in advanced pharmacotherapeutics. Serves as a clinical resource for medication use in patients with pain. Precepts and supervises pharmacy students on assigned clinical rotations. Precepts and supervises pharmacy residents and/or fellows on clinical rotations and learning experiences, as applicable. Designs and supports interdisciplinary education and training programs in collaboration with pharmacy, medical, nursing, dental, and research services. Provides in-service education and training as scheduled. c. Dispensing Functions Reviews and verifies medication orders for appropriateness, including drug selection, dose, route, strength, quantity, and duration. Evaluates orders for potential drug interactions, contraindications, adverse effects, and dosing errors. Maintains strict security and accountability of controlled substances. Conducts accurate perpetual inventories in accordance with established procedures. Provides quality oversight of labeling, prepackaging, compounding, and dispensing activities related to controlled substances. d. Administrative Functions Establishes service priorities in coordination with the Associate Chief, Clinical Pharmacy and Education, and partner services. Supports local and VISN opioid safety initiatives. Maintains effective collaboration with interdisciplinary staff regarding medication-related issues and pharmacy policies. Participates in development and revision of policies and procedures as needed. Serves on medical center committees as requested. Monitors and reports medication errors, adverse drug events, and patient compliance issues per facility procedures. Promotes and monitors compliance with established drug therapy policies. Works with providers to ensure adherence to national, VISN, and local initiatives. e. Advancement of the Profession With appropriate approval, collaborates on research and quality improvement projects evaluating the clinical and economic impact of therapeutic interventions within the scope of the position. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Situational (Ad-hoc) as determined by agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 635-54875-A

Qualifications: Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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: (312) 664-3575, or through their Web site at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/. (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 2 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 1. Grandfathering Provision. 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). 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. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or 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: Applicable residency training and/or comparable clinical experience. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. This vacancy is above the full performance level. Physical Requirements: The position may require walking, standing, and sitting for long periods. It also involves climbing stairs, lifting up to 50 pounds, hand and wrist dexterity, and arm strength for dispensing medication orders. All activities are conducted with the goals of self-enhancement and personal growth, adhering to safety and security regulations.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/05/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12858034. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2026-01-05