Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent Cheyenne VA Health Care System, Department of Veterans Affairs employees and other Federal Agencies. Health Professional Trainees who have or are completing their program may be non-competitively considered. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

• The CPP functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their scope of practice as defined by Cheyenne VA Health Care System (CVAHCS) to directly care for patients.
• The CPP serves as a program manager ensuring compliance with VHA, VISN, and Health Care System Policy regarding management of chronic, non-malignant pain including functional assessments, consent for long-term opiates management, pill counts, urinalysis, and evaluation of state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) databases.
• The CPP will support the facility Pain Management, Opioid Safety, and Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PMOP) Coordinator, facility pain POC/clinical leads, facility Primary Care (PACT) Pain Champion, Academic Detailing pharmacists and other facility stakeholders to ensure coordination of pain management, opioid safety initiative (OSI), and prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP)-related initiatives and implementation of VHA and the Joint Commission standards and facility compliance with national policy, clinical practice guidelines, and regulatory requirements.
• A CPP plays a defined role in budgetary execution and serves as a mid-level provider who functions 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; and ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy.
• This CPP serves as the program manager of the Cheyenne VA Pain Management Program and is responsible for clinical practice, oversight, quality assurance reporting, compliance with both VISN and Cheyenne VA Health Care System policy regarding pain management and contributes to the continued expansion of clinical pharmacy services within the CVAHCS.
• Maintains an active scope of practice, serving as a mid-level provider.
• Advocates Whole Health ideology and complementary and alternative medicine therapies and obtains whole health training and certifications (e.g., Battlefield Acupuncture)
• 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.
• 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.
• Provides comprehensive chart review for opiate receiving patients providing realistic and thorough recommendations to provider of record. Supplies appropriate tapering instructions, as necessary.
• Responsible for the self-development, mandatory training, and education necessary to maintain licensure, stay current with the practice of pharmacy and regulatory body and accreditation standards, and meet facility training requirements.
• Collaborates with the Chief of Pain Management and facility PMOP Coordinator to promote learning experiences and improve performance levels of Pharmacy personnel, specifically relative to primary Clinical Practice areas.
• Instructs or participates in the instruction of supervisors, pharmacy students, and pharmacy residents including developing appropriate rotation plans and completing required assessment forms in accordance with VA, ASHP, Pharmacy Service, and individual school of pharmacy requirements.
• Assists in total quality improvement activities by participating in CVAHCS and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve Pharmacy services.
• Verifies electronic orders entered by the physician for accuracy while performing a prospective drug utilization evaluation taking into account drug-drug interactions, drug-allergy contraindications, drug-disease interactions, and dosage form. Assures doses are within acceptable limits (including evaluation of FDA recommended doses) and uses professional judgment in determining quantity and day supply. Ensures all orders are finished within 7 days.
• Serves as a primary point of contact relative to use of the Emergency Prescription Services contract for the CPP assigned MSOC ensuring appropriate utilization.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Telework: Situational ( Ad-Hoc) as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 442-55009-A

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

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.
• English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• 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/.
    • Foreign Education:
      • 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.

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).



Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
GS 13 Grade Specific Requirements::GS 13 Experience:
In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

GS 13 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's): In addition to meeting the experience for the GS-12 level, applicants must possess the following 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 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.

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

This vacancy is being announced above the FPL at a GS-13.

Preferred Experience: Experience in Pain Management, DEA practitioner license is highly recommended for this position.

Physical Requirements: Physical movements involve completion of routine pharmacy functions which include, but are not limited to: significant computer work/typing involving documenting patient encounters in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), prescription order entry and processing, contact of patients (both face to face and via phone). Certain tasks are repetitive in nature and require multiple steps performed in succession for success. The incumbent should be able to lift and carry up to 45 pounds without significant difficulty. Incumbent must be able to stand or sit in one place including repeated bending for considerable time, reach above shoulders, use of fingers, both hands and legs required, during completion of complex tasks. Complexity of mental processes involved is extensive, demanding, and challenging thus requiring the ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously for mental and emotional stability. Glasses are acceptable for vision correction per OF178 as employee needs the ability to read without strain of printed material the size of typewritten characters.

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.

Area of Consideration- Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VHA employees.
3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.