Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent Veterans Health Administration employees and current or former Health Professions Trainees (HPT) only. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

Clinical

• Serves as a mid-level provider who functions to initiate, modify, or discontinue medication therapy and acts 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; chart reviews; helping achieve positive patient centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams in assigned areas; performing mental status exams and measurement- based care, as well as ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy.
• Completes drug regimen reviews and provides pharmacotherapy recommendations for CLC patients.
• Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record and/or to the provider as appropriate.
• Completes medication reconciliation for patients being admitted to the CLC as well as pharmacy discharge counseling.
• Serves as a provider in the CLC to initiate, modify or discontinue patient's medication therapy. Works collaboratively with treatment team to patient-specific drug therapy modifications to maximize patient response and minimize drug interactions, adverse drug effects, and polypharmacy while providing cost-effective treatment.
• Is actively involved in reviewing patient medication regimens for cost effective 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.
• Orders, performs, reviews, and analyzes appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy. Follows-up with patients and other members of the treatment team on lab or test results to discuss the plan of therapy.
• Monitors for and reports drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues. Documents findings per facility procedures.
• Is able to apply knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care and recognizes significant abnormalities.
• Has expertise in the principles of clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and is able to make 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.
• Assists with medication use evaluations and other Pharmacy and Therapeutics activities on behalf of national, VISN, and local medical center initiatives as needed.
• Documents clinical interventions in CPRS in a timely and professional manner as appropriate.
• Promotes and monitors compliance for established drug therapy policies. Works with providers to ensure compliance with national, VISN and local initiatives.
• Serves on medical center and/or VISN committees as requested.
• Performs drug conversions and assists with drug shortages when needed.
• All documentation will be signed within the appropriate time frame as set forth by the BC VAMC.

Education and Research

• Participates in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other medical center personnel as required.
• Effectively instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices. Can adjust communication and tracking methods based on age and developmental considerations. Can accurately assess patient comprehension.
• Is skilled at using both written and verbal communication techniques in teaching others.
• May serve as preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents in accordance with established protocols.
• Assists in new employee orientation sessions as scheduled.
• Assists in the development of proposals for improved and/or new clinical pharmacy services.
• Serves as a resource for advanced drug information support and expertise in geriatrics to other pharmacists and staff.

Drug Information

• Has a good working knowledge of information resources, both written and electronic.
• Maintains a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management.
• Provides timely and accurate responses to drug information inquiries from all customers.

Other

• Performs administrative/continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities as assigned/directed by supervisor or Chief of Pharmacy Service.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be available.
Functional Statement #: 91947-0

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 may be required to serve a 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: 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 2 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)

Grade Requirements:

• Creditable Experience
  • Knowledge of Professional Pharmacy Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with professional pharmacy practice. Professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional or unlicensed graduate pharmacist as defined by the appropriate licensing board.
  • Residency and Fellowship Training. Residency and fellowship training programs in a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for- year basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists (ASHP). A fellowship program that is not accredited by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) will need to have comparable standards for experience to be creditable (Professional Standards Board refers to the Deputy Chief Consultant for Professional Practice for the determination).
  • Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to pharmacy experience at the next lower level. Experience as a Graduate Pharmacist is creditable provided the candidate was used as a professional pharmacist (under supervision) and subsequently passed the appropriate licensure examination.
  • Part-time Experience. Part-time experience as a professional pharmacist is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a pharmacist employed 20 4 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

Experience. Applicants must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). Examples of such specialized experience 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; 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 or completion of a PGY 1 residency.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities. 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: Direct patient care & experience in geriatrics.

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.

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion. The physical demands of the work includes moderate lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 44 lbs., pushing and pulling of large medication carts, light lifting of under 15 pounds, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, good dexterity (both hands required), walking up to 4 hours, standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time, kneeling, repeated bending/stooping, climbing, use of legs and arms, operation of vehicle/motorized cart, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20, specific visual requirement, ability to read fine print on labels, depth perceptions, ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors, hearing (aid permitted), clear speech, and emotional stability.

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.