Clarification from the agency

This is an INTERNAL ANNOUNCEMENT and is limited to current permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

The VISN Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) PACT Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) position is a VISN based position located in VISN 23. This position falls under the general supervision of the VISN CRH Pharmacy Program Manager or designee. A Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) is a repository of clinical and administrative staff that serve Veterans Affairs facilities within a Veterans Integrated System Network (VISN). Staff within the CRH are expected to provide interprofessional services to VISN facilities that are underserved or experiencing gaps in clinicians due to the inability to match provider supply with demand. Services provided by CRH staff are conducted via multiple modalities, including virtual and in-person care. Telephone, Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT) and VA Video Connect (VCC) will be used by the CRH PACT CPS to deliver Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM).

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Executes therapeutic plans utilizing the safest and most cost-effective medication treatments.
• Performs the physical measurements and objective assessments necessary to ensure the patient's appropriate clinical responses to therapy.
• Orders, reviews, and takes action on appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor, support, and modify the patient's drug therapy.
• Orders and prescribes medications, vaccines, devices, and supplies to include: initiation, continuation, discontinuation, monitoring, and altering therapy; prescribing, administering, or dispensing controlled substances may be included in the scope of practice only if the clinical pharmacist is authorized by their State license to do so and comply with the limitations and restrictions on that authority.
• Orders consults and referrals, as appropriate, to maximize positive drug therapy outcomes; examples include, but are not limited to, referrals for routine care or assessment to clinical nutrition professionals, prosthetics, social workers, integrated mental health professionals, or other specialty areas.
• Obtains and documents informed consent for treatments and procedures that require consent for which the clinical pharmacist is responsible, including those where the clinical pharmacist is the prescriber of a treatment that requires consent or when they are providing medication management services on behalf of the original prescriber. NOTE: The clinical pharmacist must have sufficient knowledge and training in the treatment or procedure, its indications, risk and benefits, complications, and alternative treatments, to effectively counsel the patient.
• Conducts virtual and in-person (when appropriate) encounters with patients for CMM in the PACT practice area.
• Achieves minimum productivity expectations as set forth by the National CRH Leadership Team and Clinical Pharmacy Practice Office (CPPO).
• Follows-up with patients in a timely manner and monitors for drug therapy response, potential adverse drug reactions, allergies, compliance, laboratory results, and other monitoring measures as appropriate; treatment plan adjustments are made accordingly based on assessed measures.
• Reviews patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, pharmacokinetic impact, and therapeutic outcomes as required.
• Promotes and monitors compliance for established drug therapy policies.
• Conducts drug utilization reviews, quality assurance activities, and utilization reviews as required.
• Collaborates in the development and maintenance of policies and procedures defining operational requirements for the CRH pharmacy program.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Central Standard Time (CST)
Remote: This position is designated as remote. The option for remote work will be assessed continuously, and the selected individual may need to return to a VA office if required. The selectee must live within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center. Internet speed tests may be requested to verify/determine suitability for remote work for candidates in consideration under this announcement.
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

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.

English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.

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. 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.

Grade Determinations:

Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, which is Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program or 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, you must have 1 year of experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). Equivalent experience includes: Handling routine medication-related activities including, but 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; and providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution.

AND

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, you must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

1. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
2. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
3. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise
4. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
5. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: Education/training: PGY 1 Pharmacy Residency, PGY 2 Ambulatory Care Residency; Certification: BCACP or BCPS; Experience:3-5 years of direct patient care with scope of practice, telehealth experience. Expertise in heart failure, diabetes, weight management and other common primary care illnesses.


All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package.

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

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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:

• License
• Resume
• 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.

• Cover Letter
• License
• Clinical Resume (can be greater than 2 pages). See instructions above.
• *Highly Recommended* Write to the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) on a separate document - KSAs are found under qualification/grade requirements in the announcement.
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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

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