Clarification from the agency

This job is open to all current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees only AND past, current and upcoming participants of the VA Health Professions Training (HPT) Graduates. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

Major duties include, but not limited to:

Care in the Community Prescription Support
1. Receives faxed, mailed, electronically prescribed, or delivered prescriptions written by
Care in the Community providers (including state veterans nursing home) and documents
all received prescriptions in CPRS and/or Care in the Community workflow file.
2. Reviews Tri-west/Optum and CPRS to determine authorization of Care in the Community
by the North Texas VA Healthcare System.
3. Communicates with patients concerning prescriptions received from unauthorized
provider visits and handles prescriptions appropriately, whether forwarding to primary
care provider or returning to patient

Controlled Substance Care in the Community Prescription Support
1. Reviews the Texas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) website to ensure
appropriateness of received prescription, determine exact due date of medication, and
prevent duplicate and overprescribing of controlled substances and documents in CPRS.
2. Maintains a current knowledge of national, state, and local laws, regulations, directives,
policies and procedures pertaining to controlled substances.
3. Support pharmacy-controlled substances staff with filing all Care in the Community
prescriptions according to VA and DEA Policy and assist the controlled substance
pharmacy staff during monthly control substance inspections of Care in the Community
hard copy-controlled substance prescriptions

Telephone Triage
1. Answers the VA North Texas Healthcare System Care in the Community Pharmacy line
and handles all phone calls requiring pharmacist assistance. Based on staffing and
workload, additional telephone triage assistance may be assigned by the program
manager.
2. Utilizes pharmacy information systems to answer patient or provider questions related
to status of their prescription(s), completion date, package tracking, etc..

Clinical
Drug Therapy Monitoring - Drug therapy monitoring should be conducted by the
pharmacist in all areas of pharmacy practice (including Care in the Community) as an
ongoing activity. Drug therapy monitoring includes an assessment of the following:
- The therapeutic appropriateness of the patient's drug regimen, dose, frequency, and
route/method of administration.
- Real or potential allergies or sensitivities.
- Therapeutic duplication in the patient's drug regimen.

Distributive
1. The pharmacist is responsible for the safe, accurate, and appropriate distribution or
dispensing of medications within the VA North Texas Healthcare System. The pharmacist
will ensure that all Pharmacy Service and other regulatory policies are complied with in
regard to medication labeling, inventory management, formulary management,
equipment maintenance and timeliness of service. The pharmacist provides oversight/
supervision to Pharmacy Service support staff in the conduct of this distributive function.
2. The pharmacist will ensure all prescriptions coming from non-VA providers are
processed, working with the providers, patients, and other services to ensure timely
delivery of these services within Pharmacy Service Policy

Administrative
1. Provides orientation, education, and training to new employees assigned to the area.
2. Responsible for keeping abreast of changes in the Pharmacy Service (i.e.
interdepartmental memorandum, handbooks, polices, and procedures), and to maintain
a general knowledge of VA, DEA and JC regulations.
3. Assists in preparing for special accreditations and reviews (i.e., The JC, IG, DEA, Police,
QSV, etc.) and meets with reviewing/inspecting officials and/or pharmacy management.

Communication
1. Establishes, develops, and maintains effective working relationships and rapport with
Facility Providers, Nursing and other departments as needed. Serves as a source to
resolve questions and problems affecting hospital staff members and patients.
2. Expected to communicate in a manner that affords internal and external customers the
ability to experience positive exchange and outcomes

Other Assigned Duties
1. Assist VA providers and community pharmacies with all aspects of VA North Texas
Healthcare System Heritage Health prescription.
2. The pharmacist will be trained in all outpatient duties so they can effectively act as a
backup outpatient clinical pharmacist as needed (i.e. Dispensing, Input, Mail, Pending's,
local automation etc.).

Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm Monday-Friday. Tour may be adjusted or extended to meet the patient care needs.
Telework: Ad-hoc as determined by the agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 54929-F; 55085-F
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.

*HPTs who are on track to graduate/complete the requirements should respond as if they have met the requirements. Provide details in the narrative sections of the assessment.

Basic Requirements:

• 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. (Exception: Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. For grade levels above the GS-11, the candidate must be licensed.)
  
  English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

Exception: Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. For grade levels above the GS-11, the candidate must be licensed.

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).

Grandfathering Provision. All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

• Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations:

GS-11 Pharmacist Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist: In addition to the basic requirements:

• To qualify at the GS-12 level you must meet ONE of the following: (1) 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level OR (2)Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. AND

You must also demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) in your resume:

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

Preferred Experience:

• 2 years of Outpatient or Retail Pharmacy Experience
• 2 years of experience with Care in the Community prescriptions in accordance with the VA Mission Act; Knowledge and experience with pharmacy information systems such as VISTA, CPRS, TriWest and Optum; Experience with reviewing and assessing non-formulary drug request in accordance with local, VISN and National criteria

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 in the range of GS-11 to GS-12. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Standing (6 hours); Repeated bending (1 hours); 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 and to 20/40 in the other; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid may be permitted); Mental/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.