The CPS in Hospice and Palliative Care practices at an advanced clinical level, working independently and with palliative, primary, and specialty providers. The CPS may lead goals-of-care discussions and provides specialized medication management for veterans with serious diagnoses and their families, ensuring therapy aligns with patient goals throughout the disease process.
Responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to: presenting patients and families with the tenants of palliative care philosophy, assisting patients in identifying and updating goals of care, and designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring, altering and documenting care plans accordingly.
The CPS will provide expertise in pain and symptom management at the end of life; will play a key role in educating & precepting pharmacy residents and others in this specialty area. FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION: A. Clinical - Direct Patient Care Activities that require a scope of practice 1) Core functions include face-to-face, telephone or video encounters with patients, medication management in practice areas identified in the individual scope of practice.
2) Functions as an integral member of the palliative care team to guide discussions with patients, families, and providers on goals of care and end of life issues, including medical therapy decisions and options. 3) Functions as a mid-level provider to design, implement, monitor, and adjust therapeutic drug plans to achieve patient goals of care through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas.
4) Orders, performs reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy. 5) Follows-up with patients on lab or test results to discuss the plan of therapy, i.e. changes in medication therapy, monitoring, clinical symptom management, and additional testing requirements.
6) According to patient goals, reduce the burden of medical procedures such as laboratory tests and deprescribing unnecessary medications; use non-invasive means to monitor toxicity and efficacy. B. Clinical - Indirect Patient Care Activities 1) Provide chart review and recommendations for providers on pain and symptom management for seriously ill patients. 2) Facilitate continuity of medication management among providers and across transitions of care.
3) Monitor and report drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues. Document findings regarding facility procedures. 4) Apply knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care, recognize abnormalities and their clinical significance in the patient's palliative care, and make therapeutic adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings.
5) Serve on Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and/or assist pharmacy service leadership with medication use evaluations and other quality and safety initiatives. 6) Promote and monitor compliance with established drug therapy policies. 7) Work with providers to ensure compliance with national, VISN, and local policy, directives, standards, and initiatives. C.
Pharmacy Operations 1) Maintain a working knowledge of all operational aspects of pharmacy service, including all electronic medical record software, automation, distribution, labeling, bar code medication administration, packaging, documentation, controlled substance accountability, and inventory management. 2) Enforce national and local formulary decisions and adjudicate prior authorization drug requests in accordance with VA guidelines and clinical judgement.
Assist providers in navigating this process and recommend formulary alternatives when appropriate. D. Education and Research 1) Maintain own professional competence by keeping abreast of information on new medications, current palliative care pharmacotherapy guidelines, innovations in pharmacy practice, and integrating this information into practice.
2) Participate in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other staff on assigned teams. 3) Demonstrate skill at using both written and verbal communication techniques in teaching others. E.
Drug Information 1) Serve as an authority on drug usage, interactions, over-dosages, compliance, pharmacotherapeutic symptom management and palliative care principles to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians, and students. Use appropriate references to research drug information. 2) Demonstrate a good working knowledge of information resources, both written and electronic, as well as a solid grasp of the principles of literature evaluation and biostatistics.
3) Maintain a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management, focusing on palliative care and symptom management. F. Program Management 1) Serve on medical center, VISN and/or national committees as requested. 2) Adhere to all medical center and department policies and procedures. 3) Maintain the security of pharmaceuticals according to local policies and federal and state regulations.
Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday through Friday, 07:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
A transcript must be submitted with your application. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Michelle.Iglesias@va.gov · (502) 238-0839
This position is with Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.
The posted pay range is $120980 – $147539/yr.
Applications close on 2026-09-08.
This position is open under the 'Fed Internal Search' hiring path.
Source: USAJOBS.gov — U.S. Federal Government
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