Duties
PROGRAM MANAGEMENT: RESEARCH
Coordinates, monitors, develops, and evaluates the activities related to investigational medications including implementation of research studies.
Analyzes research protocols for potential adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, and contraindications that may have a direct impact on the
safety and welfare of study participants or contribute to the need for utilization of healthcare resources.
Responsible for maintaining a computerized listing of all active drug studies that can be efficiently and reliably reviewed to notify investigators or pharmacy benefits management drug safety bulletins and national PBM communication drug safety alerts related to their research.
Reviews investigation medication orders for dosage, frequency, and appropriateness of therapy based on indication, laboratory values, and other monitoring parameters as indicated.
Monitors and assesses outcomes of drug therapies based on physical assessment, laboratory values, and other diagnostic parameters.
CLINICAL FUNCTIONS:
Participates in physician collaboration/education; provides drug information, assesses patient response to therapy, and provides appropriate recommendations for treatment/alternatives.
Identifies any drug-related problems such as allergies, toxicities, adverse reactions, improper dose regimen, noncompliance, etc.
Reviews patients on aminoglycosides and/or vancomycin. Determines dosage, frequency, schedule, and appropriate monitoring levels for all vancomycin consults.
Reviews chemotherapy orders/prior authorization drug requests for dosage, frequency, cycle, and appropriateness of therapy based on cancer type, laboratory values, and other monitoring parameters as indicated (in the absence of the primary oncology pharmacist).
MEDICATION DISPENSING AND DISTRIBUTION:
Identifies, interprets, and resolves prescribing and dispensing issues; provides pharmacotherapeutic analyses and medication reconciliation upon admission.
Dispenses controlled substances for inpatients and outpatients with accuracy, per current policies and procedures of the institution.
Ensures compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations.
Conducts and evaluates medication histories; assesses compliance; and suggests pharmacotherapeutic modifications to achieve desired outcomes and provide appropriate pharmaceutical care.
ADMINISTRATIVE:
Manages the hospital formulary and ensures its appropriate utilization by healthcare providers.
Participates in the prior authorization drug request review process of the Medical Center and appropriately documents the evaluation of the prior authorization drug request.
Accurately completes all assignments in a timely manner as defined by the Chief of Pharmacy and/or Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor.
Actively provides insight and direction for clinical activities within the department among all Clinical Pharmacist.
EDUCATION:
Provides guidance concerning the practice of pharmacy, educates on clinical issues, and serves as a mentor.
Provides in-services and/or educational presentations to interdisciplinary healthcare staff as needed.
Educates patients, family members, and caregivers regarding proper use and storage of medications.
Provides patient educational materials and directly instructs patients on the proper administration, use, potential side effects, and contraindications of prescribed medication therapy.
Performs all other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: 6:00am - 2:30pm; 7:00am - 3:30pm; 9:00am - 5:30pm; 11:00am - 7:30pm; 12:00pm - 8:30pm; 3:00pm - 11:30pm; 7:30pm - 7:30am, 8:30pm - 7:30am with rotating weekends and holidays.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 09485F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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 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: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
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.) TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED WITH CONFER AND DEGREE AWARD DATE
OR,
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). CERTIFICATE 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. 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. (LICENSE REQUIRED)
GS-13 Grade Determinations: In addition to the Basic Requirements above, applicants must meet the following grade requirements.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Specialized experience includes but not limited to: Manages the hospital formulary and ensures its appropriate utilization by healthcare providers; Assists with the guidance and direction of the clinical pharmacy program and assists in reviewing the work and projects of pharmacy residents and students; Maintains all investigational drug records, including accountability logs, receipt, storage, security, blinding, and dispensing documentation; Reviews investigation medication orders for dosage, frequency, and appropriateness of therapy based on indication, laboratory values, and other monitoring parameters as indicated; Provides drug information and consulting services to all professional staff regarding therapy; Supervises and participates in the preparation and delivery of intravenous medications, including hazardous medications; Dispenses controlled substances for inpatients and outpatients with accuracy, per current policies and procedures of the institution. Ensures compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations.
AND,
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the requirements above, Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the KSAs:
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.
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.
Facility Program Manager: Manages all aspects of a distinct program to include policy development, quality resources and specialty functions unique to the program to optimize cost effectiveness (budget) and patient outcomes. Coordinates a single program area of a complex pharmacy operation, or multiple program areas within a facility to develop, organize, manage, and control complex pharmacy programs. Develops, organizes, coordinates and manages single or multiple program areas within the medical facility; this may include a single program area at multiple facilities. The Program Manager title is reserved for those individuals who have one or more of the following: supervisory responsibilities for various sections within Pharmacy Service; a complex program requiring coordination of multiple locations such as medical center care facilities, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), rural health, telemedicine, etc; specialized areas of a complex nature such as nuclear pharmacy, quality assurance, pharmacy informatics, clinical applications coordinator, Home Based Primary Care, pharmacoeconomist or liaison pharmacist duties requiring the coordination of processes with other medical facilities or VISNs.
Preferred Experience: At least two (2) years of experience in: Inventory Management/Pharmaceutical Procurement; Sterile IV Compounding; Controlled Substance Handling and Accountability and Research.
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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
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.
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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
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
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1)
- Performance Appraisal
- Resume
- SF-15
- 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.
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.