Clinical Pharmacist

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to the Required Documents below. Priority consideration will be given to internal VA employees, current and former VA Pharmacist Fellows, and current and former VA Pharmacy residents

FUNCTIONS/SCOPE OF DUTIES:

The incumbent serves as an Outpatient Clinical Pharmacist, exercising full professional authority, knowledge, and judgment in the delivery of outpatient pharmacy services. Key responsibilities include training and rotating through the various tasks in the outpatient pharmacy, including the controlled substance vault, conducting inventory counts, and maintaining accurate inventory. Accurately interpreting physicians' orders, filling and dispensing medications, managing drug availability and accountability, and ensuring optimal patient drug therapy. The incumbent also addresses the informational needs of physicians and nurses on safe drug prescribing and administration, reviews drug use to enhance patient outcomes, and provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring, including pharmacokinetic consultation and dosing.

The Clinical Pharmacist performs over 25% of their duties in a clinical, non-distributive capacity, providing pharmaceutical care in specialty areas such as Psychiatry, Medicine, Oncology, Surgery, IV Therapy, Long-term Care, Ambulatory Care, and Home-based Care. They ensure comprehensive care by communicating with healthcare providers about allergies, side effects, and other relevant information, both orally and in writing. The incumbent documents recommendations and interventions, reviews patients' medications and medical records to resolve medication-related issues, performs State Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) checks, and provides refill extensions and partial medication supplies when necessary. They also take health and medication histories, perform medication reconciliation, and assist in formulary management, including therapeutic substitutions, non-formulary reviews, and medication usage evaluations, conferences, and in-service programs, and it is desirable that they hold membership in a relevant pharmaceutical organization.

The incumbent ensures that Veterans receiving community care receive the same level of service as those using VA services. This includes maintaining compliance with VHA metrics and parameters for timely delivery of pharmacy consumables to Veterans and staying current with local and national changes in Outpatient Pharmacy directives and policies. They are responsible for maintaining professional relationships and collaboration with other service lines involved in providing VA services to Veterans. The position requires a working knowledge of the electronic health record (EHR), pharmacy policies and procedures, DEA regulations, and the inbound fax and electronic prescription process. The incumbent must possess exceptional customer service skills and the ability to follow verbal and written instructions. The Clinical Pharmacist is expected to maintain a high degree of accuracy, productivity, and attention to Veteran needs while adhering to the VA ICARE values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence.

Clinical Functions:

1. Provides the full range of resources as a medication expert in drug information covering a wide range of therapeutic classes.
2. Reviews the patient's medication profile for therapeutic appropriateness and any possible drug allergies, incompatibilities, interactions, duplications, or compliance problems, and when necessary, advises other members of the interdisciplinary team to ensure safety.
3. Serves as the pharmacy representative on interdisciplinary teams when assigned. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, reviewing patient medication profiles, monitoring outcomes, and/or recommending alternative therapy. Must have appropriate knowledge of disease states and clinical pharmacology.
4. Provides medication counseling to patients, their families, and caregivers.
5. Serves as a drug information resource by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other health care professionals, patients and caregivers.
6. Reports adverse drug events (ADE), near misses, and medication errors in alignment with the VA ADERS reporting program.
7. Implements P&T Committee policies, including therapeutic interchanges and automatic substitutions, to include appropriate patient and provider education
8. Adjudicates Community Care prescriptions, including assessing authorizations, determining eligibility, prescription evaluation (including appropriateness of prescription), nonformulary management, PDMP inquiries, and other relevant interventions.

Additional Functions include, but are not limited to:

• Screening prescriptions
• Maintaining adequate drug stock.
• Educating healthcare providers.
• Reviewing controlled substance destruction process.
• Ensuring compliance with Federal regulations.
• Provide professional and technical advice.
• Professionally treat customers.
• Guides, directs, orients, and trains employees, students, and residents.

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEw
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 59963F

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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass a 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.
• 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. (NOTE: Prior to 2005, ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree programs. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy).
• TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED (2) Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the graduate can 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). YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF FPGEC CERTIFICATION WITH THE APPLICATION PACKAGE.
• 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.
• YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF CURRENT LICENSE WITH THE APPLICATION PACKAGE.
• English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d).

Grade Determinations: GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level)Experience or Education. I

n addition to the basic requirements, candidates must:

Have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11), which includes Knowledge of Professional Pharmacy Practices, Residency accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and Fellowship Training Program accredited by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)OR 2. Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following 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: 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 it is required to maintain full, current, and unrestricted licensure.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15, Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standards http://vaww1.va.gov/ohrm/HRLibrary/Dir-Policy.htm The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Lifting/carrying up to 40lbs; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (up to 1 hours); Standing (up to 2 hours); Repeated kneeling (up to 1 hour); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; Ability to distinguish colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted); mental and emotional stability.

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)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps