Duties
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Clinical - Direct Patient Care (Independent Practice Under SOP)
- Conducts face-to-face, telephone, & telehealth/VVC encounters with patients referred or empaneled for CMM.
- Functions as a mid-level provider & independently initiates, titrates, adjusts, & discontinues medication therapy for chronic disease states to achieve definite outcomes through direct patient care & collaboration with providers in assigned areas.
- Independently orders, performs, reviews, & interprets laboratory tests & diagnostic studies necessary to monitor & support drug therapy, adjusting treatment plans based on results
- Performs & documents relevant physical assessments to inform drug therapy decisions within the bounds of the SOP & clinical privileges.
- Follows up directly with patients on lab/test results to communicate & adjust the therapeutic plan, including changes in medication, monitoring frequency, & additional testing.
- Exercises independent clinical judgment to determine when referral to a physician or specialist is warranted due to disease progression, diagnostic uncertainty, or adverse drug events outside the CPP's scope.
- Manages transitions of care, including post-discharge medication reconciliation, identification & resolution of poly-pharmacy discrepancies, & coordination with non-VA & specialty care, as needed.
Clinical - Indirect Patient Care Activities
- Independently reviews patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, appropriateness of drug selection, dosing, contraindications, adverse effect potential, & drug interactions; communicates findings & implements alternative treatment plans as clinically indicated.
- Obtains & documents comprehensive medication histories, summarizing significant findings in the electronic health record & to the responsible provider as appropriate.
- Monitors, documents, & reports medication errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, & patient adherence concerns in accordance with facility procedures.
- Applies clinical knowledge of laboratory reference ranges to identify significant abnormalities & independently makes dose-adjustment decisions based on objective findings.
- Reviews & adjudicates requests for non-formulary & restricted medications against established clinical criteria, where applicable.
- Collaborates with providers & pharmacy leadership to ensure compliance with national, VISN, & local clinical initiatives.
- Reviews & verifies medication orders for appropriateness & safety, intervening to reduce risk of adverse drug events.
- Supports the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee with medication use evaluations, drug utilization reviews, & formulary safety initiatives.
Drug Information & Patient Education
- Serves as a clinical authority on medication usage, drug interactions, overdose management, & adherence for medical staff, nursing staff, technicians, & trainees, using evidence-based references.
- Maintains current, working knowledge of pharmacotherapy literature & clinical decision-support resources.
- Provides timely, accurate responses to drug information inquiries from all customer groups.
- Independently educates patients & caregivers on appropriate medication & device use, adapting communication to age, health literacy, & developmental considerations; assesses & documents patient comprehension; refers to facility-based multidisciplinary education programs as indicated.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, Intermittent (no holidays)
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Available (Ad-hoc based on service needs)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 55073A
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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.
- 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 pre-employment physical evaluation/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.) (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: 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.
- English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English.
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).
Grade Determinations: GS-13
(a)
Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
(b)
Assignments. Candidates at this grade level are to be in one of the assignments listed below. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher 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.
1.
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. Pharmacists 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:
- PGY-2 Pharmacy Residency or PGY-1 Pharmacy Residency with at least one year of experience in Ambulatory Care clinical experience +/- BCPS/BCACP/BGCP.
- Multiple years of experience in Ambulatory Care clinical experience +BCPS/BCACP/BGCP.
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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.
Physical Requirements:
A. Due to the open, shared nature of PACT team workspaces, the incumbent must be able to work effectively amid multiple simultaneous conversations occurring nearby, including discussions of direct patient care by other team members that may be incidentally overheard. The incumbent is expected to maintain patient confidentiality regardless of open workspace configuration, consistent with the Privacy Act and HIPAA minimum necessary standards.
B. The incumbent must be able to concentrate, exercise independent clinical judgement, and accurately perform telehealth (phone and VVC) patient encounters in a moderate-noise environment characterized by ambient conversation, phones ringing, and general clinic activity.
C. Primary care work areas experience frequent foot traffic from patients, providers, nursing staff, and other healthcare personnel throughout the workday; the incumbent must be able to maintain focus and workflow efficiency despite a frequent interruption practice setting.
D. The position requires prolonged periods of sitting, typing, and computer screen use, as well as extended telephone and headset use for phone clinics and virtual encounters.
E. The incumbent must have visual acuity sufficient to review laboratory results, medication lists, and clinical documentation accurately, and auditory acuity sufficient to conduct telephone/VVC clinical encounters and detect patient-reported symptoms or distress, as errors in perception could directly affect patient safety.
F. The incumbent must be able to move between clinic rooms, workstations, and other areas of the medical center or CBOC as needed to attend patients, consult with team members, or attend meetings; occasional walking, standing, and use of stairs/elevators may be required.
G. The incumbent may occasionally lift and carry reference materials, a laptop/mobile workstation, or other light equipment, generally not exceeding 15-20 pounds.
H. The incumbent must be able to manage the cognitive demands of rapid task switching between direct patient care, documentation, and interruptions from team members, while maintaining accuracy in independent clinical decisionmaking.
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/.
Additional information
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
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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.