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. This announcement is open to all current, permanent employees of Department of Veterans Affairs and to current/past/upcoming VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduates.

• Initiating, modifying or discontinuing medication therapy (including controlled substance), ordering labs and other tests to help determine efficacy or toxicity of medications, designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing best evidence or medical organization's published guidelines.
• Reviews patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, medication selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential interactions, and therapeutic outcomes as required. Communicates findings with prescribers and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed.
• Reviews and implements pharmacotherapy and treatment guidelines, during direct patient care and via recommendations to other providers.
• Documents clinical interventions and therapeutic plans accurately in the electronic medical record in a timely and professional manner as appropriate.
• Collaborate with clinic staff to provide pharmaceutical care to pain management patients as outlined by best evidence, VHA and clinical practice guidelines. Clinical activities include histories, evaluations, outlining, executing, and monitoring pharmacotherapeutic treatment plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic and most economical medication treatments.
• Reviews and evaluates requests for prior authorization and restricted medications for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable.
• Serves as an authority on medication usage, interactions, overdosages, and adherence to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians and students.
• Provides timely and accurate responses to medication information inquiries from all customers.
• Monitors for and reports medication errors, adverse reactions, allergies, and patient adherence issues.
• Reviews literature to provide an evaluation of efficacy safety a current knowledge of therapeutics, and disease management.
• Assists with medication use evaluations and other Pharmacy and Therapeutics activities as assigned.
• Promotes and monitors compliance for established medication therapy policies.
• Works with providers to ensure compliance with medical organization's initiatives. Completes clinical reminders in an accurate and timely manner in the electronic medical record as appropriate.
• Documents interventions using workload capture tools.
• Serves as an effective preceptor, directing and supervising pharmacy residents and students as assigned.
• Assists in the development, enhancement, and operation of resident and student training programs.
• Participates in activities of interdisciplinary training and in-servicing of medical staff, nursing staff, residents, students, and other allied health professionals.
• Instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications.
• Refers patients to educational programs provided at the medical center by multidisciplinary teams.
• Assists in planning and implementing quality assurance activities.
• Manages therapeutic recommendations according to best evidence organizational guidelines published. Collaboratively comanages patients including adjusting medications and ordering laboratory tests to ensure effective and safe therapy.
• Assists in the operations of the other areas of the Pharmacy Service including distribution and clinical work in other areas.
• Helps achieve positive patient centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams.
• Applies knowledge of pharmacy law, privacy laws/regulations.
• Assists in designing and completing research studies involving clinical pharmacist functions, quality assurance, medication use evaluations, or pharmacotherapy.
• Participates in collaborative research studies involving pharmacotherapy with other services.
• Oversees projects as required by pharmacy residents and students

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
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

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.
• 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. 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. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR,
  • (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). (DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED)
• 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. (COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED)h 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: Clinical Pharmacy Specialist GS-13

• Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). The GS-12 requirements include: (1) 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) or (2) Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. AND the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
  • Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.
  • Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
  • Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Pharmacists assigned to this position must 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.


Physical Requirements: Work includes some walking, standing, bending, and carrying light items such as paper and books. Most of the work is performed while seated.

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.

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

• License
• Resume | CV
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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.

• License
• Resume | CV
• 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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