Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent VA employees and past, current, and upcoming VHA/HPT Graduates. VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduates must submit a copy of their latest Notification of Personnel Action, Standard Form 50 (SF-50), and/or the FL-294 (or a WOC appointment letter). NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

Clinical Practice
i) Participates in medication management to include designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic and most economical medication treatments. Additionally, ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy, and therapeutic substitution as per protocol or provider consultation and medication reconciliation.
ii) Participates in daily multi-disciplinary team rounds and provides drug information, observations on patient response to therapy, and appropriate recommendations regarding treatment alternatives or additional interventions to maximize patient care outcomes taking into consideration choice of therapy, safety, efficacy, and Pharmacoeconomics, i.e., antibiotic streamlining, anti-coagulation monitoring, pharmacokinetic dosing, drug interaction evaluation, etc.
iii) Participates in medication reconciliation process: Interviews and evaluates patients upon admission to the hospital, daily during hospitalization and upon discharge for appropriateness of pharmacologic therapy; designs a pharmaceutical care plan as appropriate and documents the pharmaceutical care plan in the patient's electronic medical record. Process and/or ensure the processing of all discharge medications for the assigned patient care area.
iv) Participates in referring inpatients admitted with ambulatory care sensitive conditions or conditions with high risk of readmission to the patient's primary care team for close follow-up post-discharge.
v) Supports the Allergy/ Adverse Drug Reaction Program.

Dispensing and Distribution
Outpatient: Be thoroughly familiar with the administrative aspects of this section, including patient status, controlled substances control, procurement procedures, prepackaging log records, prescription control, AMIS reports, & other details peculiar to the operation of this section. Thoroughly screen prescriptions for appropriate dosage, drug interactions, & drug overlap. Counsel patients concerning their medications regarding proper methods of administration, potential side effects, & any appropriate precautions.

Inpatient: Coordinate with and support the unit dose drug distribution system and interact with Nursing Service personnel and the Medical Staff in resolving all drug-related problems. Proficient in screening physicians' orders for appropriate dosage, incorrect strengths, drug incompatibilities, interactions, overlaps, & any other uncommon situations. Provide drug information education & training to pharmacy/medical residents, interns & students, & in-service training for staff pharmacists and technicians.

Intravenous Additive/Sterile Products & Bulk Compounding: Thorough knowledge of drug stabilities and reconstitution requirements, enabling the recognition of incompatibility, overdoses, and contraindications in prescriptions and doctors' orders. Deviation from established guidelines and procedures may be required after consulting with the prescribing and/or attending physician. The legal responsibility for the clinical work performed and the decisions made exclusively of direct supervision rests with the pharmacist involved.

Education and Research: Trains and orientates Pharmacist and Technicians in Pharmacy programs and procedures as assigned. Participates in planning, developing and the implementation of new Pharmacy programs and procedures. Cooperates and participates in organized educational programs of the Pharmacy Service and Medical Center. Participates in the orientation and on-the-job training of pharmacy students/interns, pharmacy technicians and newly hired pharmacists. Designs and/or participate in research studies or outcomes research involving drug therapy or clinical pharmacy functions.

Administration/Technical Support: Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR}reporting. ii) Works with other health care providers to develop programs for improvement of drug use. Develops and conducts drug usage evaluation in areas of need from a cost and patient outcome perspective. Documents cost reduction/cost avoidance activities on a periodic basis. Supports the hospital formulary and ensures its appropriate utilization by health care providers. Supports an effective quality assurance program for the inpatient pharmacy section that meets the changing service, patient, and/or Medical Center needs. Accurately completes all assignments in a timely manner as defined by Clinical Inpatient Manager. When required, effectively manages and supervises technical support in the areas of clinical responsibilities.

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

Customer Service: Listens & responds to all customer/patient feedback.

Work Schedule: 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM, Monday-Friday
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.)
  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 as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

GS-13 Grade Determinations:
Experience. Have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower GS-12 grade level. These include, but are 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. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs):

1. Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
2. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.
3. Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
4. Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

AND

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following 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.

Preferred Experience: Previous experience working in an acute care setting and residency trained.

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

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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, 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 a resume or during an 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.