Clarification from the agency

This position is open to current, permanent federal employees of Veterans Health Administration and Past/Current/Upcoming VHA HPT Graduates. First area of consideration is Facility. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

The primary function of a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist/Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) is to assure the safe and appropriate use of medications and be an advocate of rational drug therapy through the following: evaluation of the appropriateness of drug therapy based on patient specific factors; individualization of drug therapy; evaluation, dispensing and providing medications, and drug information. Incumbent has responsibility to develop, organize, and manage the Pain Management Opioid Safety, and the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program(PMOP) within the clinical pharmacist service areas.

The Incumbent has full responsibility to develop necessary services such as physician consultation, patient monitoring, and patient counseling and medication management clinics within Pain Management and Mental Health Care framework. The incumbent is responsible to serve as preceptor for Doctor of Pharmacy candidates and Post Graduate Pharmacy residents. The CPP serves as a pharmacy representative for the WPB VAHCS and as a special consultant for the Chronic Pain and mental health service. The CPP must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to complete the duties of the position, including the necessary skills to provide care appropriate to the population of the patients served.

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Works independently under a scope of practice, providing medication management and medication reconciliation for those patients who are consulted in either outpatient Pain or Mental Health including Substance Abuse clinics.
• Serves as a mid-level provider who functions to implement pharmacotherapeutic plans including the ability to initiate, modify, or discontinue medications (excluding controlled substances) as clinically indicated in the treatment of chronic pain management or mental health disease states including opioid and substance use disorders.
• Serves as mid-level provider for another CPP for scheduled and unexpected call outs in pain management and opioid use disorders clinics.
• Works collaboratively with physicians, nurses and other health care providers to achieve positive patient centric outcomes.
• Interviews patients in assigned areas, conducting medication histories, formulating and implementing a pharmaceutical care plan for those screened patients who meet the established criteria of needing pharmaceutical care, and documents this information in the patient's electronic record Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS).
• Documents a pharmacy education note in the patient's electronic record in CPRS after educating/counseling has taken place.
• Provides drug information to all health care professionals, as requested.
• Provides appropriate selection of drug therapy based upon relevant lab values and the pharmaceutical principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; monitoring for efficacy, side effects and clinical outcome; and advises prescribers as appropriate
• Interfaces with providers, including physicians, physician's assistants (PA), Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (ARNP) and other healthcare providers in the design of the veteran's treatment regimen based on patient-specific information that includes establishing a therapeutic endpoint, electing an appropriate drug and related therapy, and establishing an appropriate dosage regimen to achieve optimization of rational and cost-effective drug therapy.
• Reviews requests and determines in collaboration with the prescriber the use of non-formulary and/or restricted medications.
• Monitors drug levels of patients who are receiving drugs with narrow therapeutic indices and makes recommendations as appropriate for dose changes using approved pharmacokinetic parameters.
• Serves as an authoritative information source on drugs and their utilization in therapy, with special emphasis on medications used for pain management and opioid use disorders.
• Evaluates the drug literature by analysis of experimental design and methodology, in order to compare and contrast therapeutic regimens and roles for new drugs, with a special emphasis in medications used in chronic pain control.
• Participates in pain management, mental health, and PMOP meetings as assigned.
• Orders lab tests as indicated for appropriate patient monitoring.

Work Schedule: Variable tours of duty with rotational weekends and holidays on a fair and equitable basis per the needs of the service.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:41920F
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.
• You may be required to serve a trial period.
• 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).

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:
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:

• (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. 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.)
• (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 (DOCUMENTATION SUPPLIED): 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.

NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. § 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.

Licensed Pharmacists 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).

Grandfathering Provision. All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

• (1) Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• (3) If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist - GS-0660-13 (Above full performance):

• Experience: In addition to the Basic Requirements, Pharmacists assigned to the GS-13 grade must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12):
• Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher the level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
  • Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. The clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their scope of practice as defined by the individual medical center to directly care for patients. A CPS 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; performing physical assessments; and ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA's): Pharmacist assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • (a) Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
  • (b) Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
  • (c) Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
  • (d) Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
  • (e) Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: Highly desirable for the candidate to have ASHP-accredited PGY-2 Residency in either pain or mental health or in the process of completion of at least 2 years of clinical practice experience in outpatient pain or mental health pharmacotherapy.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/OHRM/QualificationStandards/HT38/0660-LicensedPharmacist.pdf

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

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 VA Agency employees.
3. Current/Past VHA Health Professional Trainee (HPT) Graduates

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

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.

REMINDER Current, permanent federal employees must submit recent SF-50 from the past 12 months which clearly shows current, permanent federal eligibility. Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:

• General adjustment/Cost of living Increase
• Within grade increases at the highest grade held
• Promotions SF-50's at the highest grade held within the past year
• Cash Award, benefit changes or time off Awards 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted.

Please check your electronic official personnel folder (eOPF) for your most recent SF-50. HR will not contact you for more info or documents. You can attach more than 1 SF50. All current, permanent federal employees applicants must ensure that they have included one or more SF50's showing current, permanent employment status in the past 12 months.

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
• License
• Resume/CV to include longer than 2-pages - See JOB ANNOUNCEMENT- Required Documents Box.
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• 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.

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