Clarification from the agency

OPEN TO CURRENT PERMANENT HINES VA EMPLOYEES; and PAST, CURRENT, UPCOMING VHA HPT GRADUATES.

Videos

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

The PACT Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) serves as a mid-level practitioner with prescribing privileges with the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The PACT CPP functions at the highest level of clinical pharmacy practice to provide Comprehensive Medication Management (CMM) in the outpatient primary care practice settings.

Duties Include:

• Functions as a mid-level practitioner to design, implement, and monitor therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas.
• Orders, performs, and interprets the physical measurements necessary to monitor, support, and modify the patient's medication therapy.
• Ordering and prescribing medications, vaccines, devices, and supplies to include to initiation, continuation, discontinuation, monitoring, and/or altering therapy.
• Conducts virtual and in-person (when appropriate) encounters with patients for CMM in the PACT practice area.
• Follows-up with patients in a timely manner and monitors for drug therapy response, potential adverse drug reactions, allergies, adherence, laboratory results, and other monitoring measures as appropriate; treatment plan adjustments are made accordingly based on assessed measures
• Utilizes motivational interview skills with patient, family, caregiver, and other healthcare professionals to collect patient-specific data, conduct medication history, and identify additional data needed for medication review assessment and medication reconciliation.
• Ensures appropriate care coordination during transitions of care (changes in levels of care, shift changes, etc.) as well as throughout the discharge process, as indicated.
• Effectively instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices. Incumbent adjusts communication and tracking methods based on age and developmental considerations. Accurately assesses and documents patient comprehension. Refers patients to educational programs provided at the medical center by multidisciplinary teams.
• Assists in medical emergencies and high-risk scenarios, when applicable. The PACT CPP ensures appropriate selection of medications, dosages, and administration, and provides recommendation on routes and dosages for alternatives medications if warranted.
• Reviews patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes as required. Communicates findings with prescribers and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed.
• Utilizes VAADERs Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting system to monitor and report drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues.
• Enters and documents medication errors or findings in the medication reporting system.
• Documents pharmaceutical care plan and interventions performed in electronic health record and/or facility specific programs in accordance with policies and facility by-laws.
• Apply knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care, recognizes significant abnormalities, and makes dose adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings.
• Reviews and evaluates requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable and as assigned.
• Responsible for processing all electronic orders for assigned team as requested or needed including verifying patient information, correct medication dose, route, and frequency of administration. All orders are checked for patient allergies, drug interactions, incompatibilities, duplication, and priority.
• Identifies, interprets, and resolves prescribing and dispensing issues, including pharmacotherapeutics and the formulary. Documents interventions within the specified timeframe if applicable.
• Dispenses controlled substances with accuracy according to current policies and procedures.
• Serves as a preceptor for students, PGY-1, and PGY-2 residents at Hines VA Hospital and maintains preceptor qualifications that aligns with American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) and set forth by the residency program director.
• Serves as an advocate for the pharmacy profession and educates team members on PACT and CPP processes.
• Work with other health care providers to develop programs for improvement of drug use.

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 probationary 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:

• 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 must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• 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. (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)

• GS-13 Experience: In addition to the basic requirements have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled which includes 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; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution.

• 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.

• PGY-1 and/ PGY-2 in Ambulatory Care/Geriatrics.
• Board certification in Ambulatory Care or equivalent.
• Previous PACT CPP experience.

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.