Summary
The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) functions at the highest level of clinical practice and works independently under their individual scope of practice to directly care for patients. A CPS functions as an Advanced Practice Practitioner who may be assigned to the following areas: Mental Health, Ambulatory Care, Acute Care Medicine, Anticoagulation, Antibiotic Stewardship, Surgery, Emergency Room, and Specialty areas.
Duties
Tulsa (James Mountain Inhofe VAMC) - https://youtu.be/3fMEu0iS7_Q?si=Y5RtGcnKKbJGxxk6
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws
- This CPS position will function in a Clinical Pharmacy role providing an appropriate selection of drug therapy based upon the pharmaceutical principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; monitoring for efficacy, side effects, and clinical outcome; and advising prescribers as appropriate. The CPS will provide these services while functioning under a Global Scope of Practice. The Scope of Practice for a CPS must allow for the initiation, modification, and discontinuation of medications based on the principles previously listed.
- Provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicates relevant findings and /or recommendations to other healthcare providers in charge of the patient both orally and in writing. Monitoring will include prospective review and intervention in:
- Therapeutic appropriateness of a patient's drug regimen
- Therapeutic duplication in the patient's drug regimen
- Appropriateness of the route and method of administration
- Degree of patient compliance with the prescribed drug regimen
- Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-laboratory, or drug-disease interactions
- Clinical and pharmacokinetic laboratory data to evaluate the efficacy of drug therapy and to anticipate side effects, toxicity, or adverse effects.
- Physical signs and clinical symptoms relevant to the patient's drug therapy.
- Perform continuous evaluation of prescribed medications to assure optimal drug therapy.
- Provide medication counseling to patients.
- Completes medication histories, including patient interviews.
- Serves as a drug information resource by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers.
- Evaluate pertinent laboratory data, drug-drug and drug-nutrient interactions, monitor for adverse drug effects, and screen for allergies.
- Assess drug safety and efficacy, including evaluation of physical symptoms.
- Reports adverse drug events (ADE), near misses, and medication errors in alignment with the VADERS reporting program.
- Participates in the Medical Center Medication Utilization Evaluation (MUE) program.
- Recommends formulary alternatives and completes non-formulary consults as assigned.
- Maintain current BLS and/or ACLS certification.
- Provides routine Clinical Pharmacy consultation, including renal dosing.
- Implement P&T Committee policies, including therapeutic interchanges and automatic substitutions to include appropriate patient and provider education.
- Manages recalls and medication shortage situations by substituting alternate dosage strengths and instructions and/or changing the medication to one that has similar indications and outcomes.
- Enters supply orders appropriate for patient care per facility policy.
- Serves as a role model and preceptor to Pharmacy students and residents.
- Assumes an active role in staff development of peers and provides educational in-services to Pharmacy, Nursing, Medical Staff, or other ancillary services.
- Participation in documentation of interventions, medication errors, and adverse drug event reporting.
- Works with other health care providers to develop programs for the improvement of drug use.
- Develop and conduct drug usage evaluation in areas of need from a cost and patient outcome perspective.
- Document cost reduction/cost avoidance activities on a periodic basis.
- Assists in managing the hospital formulary and ensures its appropriate utilization by health care providers.
- Participation in research projects and quality improvement projects involving drug therapy outcomes, Pharmacoeconomics, and pharmaceutical care.
- Provision of backup pharmacy staffing coverage and maintenance of skills required for backup pharmacy staffing coverage.
Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Functional Statement #: 623-57393-A
Requirements
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).
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. Citizen of the United States.
- 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/. (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.)
- 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.
- Grandfathering Provision. 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).
- English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist
- Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Pharmacists assigned to this position must also demonstrate the following KSAs:
- 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.
Preferred Experience: Clinical Pharmacy
experience involving Infectious Disease. PGY1 preferred. Strong knowledge of pharmacy operations, clinical pharmacy practices, and medication management. Experience with electronic health record (EHR) systems and pharmacy management software. Knowledge of contemporary hospital/clinical practice and service. Significant knowledge and expertise in advanced pharmacy practice, specialty medication therapy management, and specialty evidence-based medicine.
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-13.
Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, walking, bending, stooping, standing, pushing, and pulling.
Education
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/.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- License
- Resume
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
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 (VA)
- License
- Resume
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/17/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12760257.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.