Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

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

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

Clinical Functions:

• Demonstrates competence in differentiating individual patient pharmaceutical care needs based on patient age from adult (18-64) through geriatric (65+).
• Initiates and executes evidence-based pharmacotherapeutic regimens and monitoring plans.
• Accountable for medication reconciliation in accordance with national and facility guidelines.
• Orders, performs and interprets the physical measurements necessary to monitor, support and modify the patient's medication therapy.
• Orders, reviews and interprets appropriate laboratory tests and other studies necessary to monitor, support and modify the patient's medication therapy.
• Effectively monitors and assesses patient outcomes to drug therapy, managing ongoing therapy or transition to other levels of treatment.
• Monitors for and reports drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies and patient compliance issues per facility procedures.
• Performs prospective panel reviews and actively participates in population management.
• Participates in team huddles, rounds and meetings.
• Serves as a resource within the team for formulary management issues, implementation of VHA criteria for use.
• Completes all documentation in a professional and concise manner to accurately reflect care plans allowing for safe and efficient care throughout the care continuum.
• Contributes pharmaceutical guidance with development and review of evidence-based treatment protocols, criteria for use and new medication requests.

Distributive Functions:

• Assigned to coordinate workload activities and expected to direct colleagues or technicians to complete routine tasks of the shift and assigned area. Timely and constructive feedback to the immediate supervisor is expected when assigned workload cannot be completed.
• Carefully executes each step in the dispensing process according to law, regulatory standards, VHA policies and standard of care to ensure safe and appropriate medication therapy.

Administrative Functions:

• Assists in the identification, development and implementation new programs or services in their area of practice.
• Routinely identifies the patient or customer's situation properly and consistently resolves the problem accurately and in a timely manner to promote positive pharmacy service interactions.
• Exhibits initiative and resourcefulness in managing time and workload to meet deadlines and changing priorities.
• Independently identifies and resolves clinical and administrative problems that occur in their service. Effectively communicates across service lines as necessary to achieve resolution.
• Collaborates with Associate Chief, Clinical Pharmacy Services and CPP to develop sustainable and consistent practices across the health care team.
• Assesses the education needs of medical center staff and provides appropriate and timely formal/informal education on an ongoing basis.

Supervisor Controls

• The CPP is under the direct supervision of the Associate Chief, Clinical Pharmacy Services, or designee. In addition, CPP is accountable to the Chief, Pharmacy Service, or designee, for professional licensure, competency and continuing education. The CPP will also exercise a high level of independent judgement in dealing with problems on a day-to-day basis and collaborates directly with other services.

Customer Service

• Relationships with management, co-workers, patients, non-VA care providers and all VA patrons will be consistently courteous, respectful and cooperative in nature.

Age, Development and Cultural Needs of Patient

• Population-specific care, as identified in the Population-Specific Competencies, including knowledge of principles of growth and development relevant to the population(s) served and associated age-specific changes; ability to assess and interpret data about the patient's status; and ability to identify population-specific needs and provide the appropriate care based upon the population-related factors noted.

Computer Security

• In the performance of official duties, the employee has regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive information, which must be protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, and other applicable law and regulations.

Safety

• Maintains a safe, orderly, work environment; Reports all unsafe acts, conditions and personal injuries to the supervisor, immediately. Fills out appropriate forms.

Work Schedule: M-F 0800-1630
Telework: adhoc - as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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.

Candidates must meet the Basic Requirements and the Grade Determinations below:

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. 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 Determinations - GS-660-13:

(a) Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

(b) 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.

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist.

The clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their scope of practice as defined by the individual medical center to directly care for patients. A CPS plays a defined role in budgetary execution and serves as a mid-level provider who functions to initiate, modify or discontinue medication therapy and 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; helping achieve positive patient centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams in assigned areas; performing physical assessments; and ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy. 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: Candidates must demonstrate an ability to function independently and effectively in a collaborative Oncology environment and meet qualifications as a PGY2 preceptor. Competitive candidates will have completed a PGY2 Oncology -or- have completed a PGY1 residency with significant oncology experience. Candidates without residency training but have extensive clinical experience in oncology may be considered. BCOP certification is highly desirable.


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

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.