Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Open to the Public. If you are a current, permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employee, or a current, permanent federal employee of another federal agency, or a Health Professional Trainee (HPT) you should apply to: CAZM-12838318-26-AO

This job is also open in another announcement to:

Federal employees - Competitive service

Federal employees - Excepted service

Internal to an agency

Recent graduates

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

Duties outlined are at the GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist.

A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations. These include, but are not limited to: reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacting providers as appropriate; documenting recommendations and interventions; providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies; taking health and medication histories; performing medication reconciliation; providing drug information; assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations; documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs); assisting in medical emergencies; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution.

Clinical/Professional:
1. Consults with physicians and other providers on appropriate pharmaceutical treatment regimens for patients.
2. Provides consultation to physicians and other health care professionals on both basic and specific information concerning formulary alternatives.
3. Spends up to 25% of time providing clinical services to clinic patients, providers, and other clinic staff.
4. Provides patient consultation concerning individual drug therapy and related problems and needs.
5. Evaluation of non-formulary consults in accordance with VA criteria for use of non-formulary medications.
6. Monitors use of non-formulary medications on discharge and fee prescriptions to ensure that VA patients receive appropriate medications according to VA criteria of use.
7. Processes pharmacy interventions regarding medication changes in therapy, drug-interactions, drug allergy processing, dosage errors, and other pharmacy interventions. 8. Notifies providers of appropriate changes to medication orders and make appropriate recommendations.
9. Records pharmacy interventions in appropriate intervention software to track and trend interventions for quality assurance purposes.
10. The pharmacist provides appropriate selection of drug therapy.
11. Provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring.
12. Performs continuous evaluation of prescribed medications to assure optimal drug therapy.
13. Provides medication counseling to patients.
14. Completes medication histories including patient interviews.
15. Serves as a drug information resource to health care professionals, patients, and caregivers. 16. Participates in patient care rounds, review charts, evaluates pertinent laboratory data, drug-drug, and drug-nutrient interactions, monitors for adverse drug effects, and screens for allergies.

Dispensing:
1. Interprets and evaluates physician medication orders for both accuracy and appropriateness.
2. Verifies provider medication orders in VistA to include drug interaction monitoring, proper dose, rate, and dosage form.
3. Utilizes all applicable manual, automated and computerized prescription processing, and dispensing systems.

Education/Training:
1. Assists in the training of new pharmacy staff.
2. Participates in in-service training programs for house staff (i.e., CPR instructor)
3. Serves as a preceptor to students of Affiliated Schools of Pharmacy.

Safety:
1. Comply with safety and environmental rules and regulations for safe job performance.
2. Use and maintain personal protective equipment when required and provided.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday with alternating tours, 8:00am to 4:30pm and 9:00am to 5:30pm. The tour of duty for this position will be a rotating schedule through Outpatient Pharmacies, as determined by the Chief of Pharmacy, for the needs of Pharmacy Service.
Telework: AD-HOC (Employees who telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term basis, and have completed required telework training and telework agreement.) (Portion of day acceptable)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 43587-F, 53588-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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.
• Possess a valid, unrestricted State driver's license.
• 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:
  • (1) 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.
  • (2) 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).

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: GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level)
Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following:
1. 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or
2. Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.

Assignment. A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations. These include, but are not limited to: reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; etc.

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs):
1. Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
2. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.
3. Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
4. Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience:
1. Unencumbered license from an accredited School of Pharmacy.
2. Previous pharmacy experience in a busy retail/outpatient pharmacy.
3. Comprehensive knowledge of pharmacy workflow to include pharmacy operations as well as pharmacy administration and paperwork.
4. Possesses ability to analyze systems and streamline processes to maintain and improve patient care through the most efficient and timely delivery of prescription medications to VA patients.
5. Comprehensive knowledge of pharmacy to efficiently offer cost effective, criteria-based medication therapy outcomes for VA patients6. Possesses personal skills and ability to interact with tact, courtesy, and diplomacy to represented pharmacy service professionally when interacting with external and internal customers.

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-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: The position will require moderate lifting (15-44 pounds), moderate carrying (15-44 pounds), straight pulling (1 hour), pushing (1 hour), reaching above shoulder, walking (2 hours), standing (2 hours), repeated bending (2 hours).

Medical Requirements: Applicants must be able to distinguish basic colors.

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

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
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

Next steps