Clarification from the agency

Current Permanent VHA Employees. - 1st area of consideration will be VISN 19 CCC Pharmacy Service Line. 2nd area of consideration will be VHA employees. 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 not limited to:

• Develops and evaluates training programs or customer service initiatives at the program or VISN level.
• Provides clinical expertise in the application of the pharmacy processes to complex patient care, organizational processes and/or systems, improving patient outcomes at the program or VISN level.
• Responsible and accountable for individual pharmacy practice and determines the appropriate delegation of asks consistent with the pharmacy technician and pharmacist's obligation to provide optimal care.
• Leads and implements the Pharmacy Quality Assurance (QA) Program according to standards and regulations.
• Reviews, audits and implements corrective action, where needed, for all components of pharmacy related CCC processes including pharmacist ordering/prescribing, pharmacist review, clinical chart review audits, telephone call audits and pharmacy technician note review audits.
• Monitors medication errors and adverse drug reactions. Reviews data for trends and when system errors occur, works to correct processes.
• Initiates and/or leads interdisciplinary committees, task forces or groups to improve patient care at the program or VISN level. Ensures critical analysis of data gathered to include comparing data with goals or benchmarks, ensurinq data is reliable and valid.
• Leads an interdisciplinary team to conduct Root Cause Analyses for clinical adverse events and near miss events; develops action plans to reduce risk of recurrence; follows the progress of these action plans.
• Utilizes innovations and creative approaches for changing pharmacy practice at the program level, based on quality assurance findings.
• Evaluates effectiveness of pharmacy assessments and makes recommendations for consistency with population-specific care standards at the program level.
• Considers intended and unintended impact of any proposed changes on Veteran satisfaction within the program and makes recommendations for mitigation when negative impact is anticipated.
• Ensures all clinical pharmacists are part of pertinence review program. Identifies and provides all reviews to he pharmacist within the program and ensures reviews are completed.
• Coordinates regular meetings with the VISN CCC Pharmacy Program Manager and works with the VISN CCC Chief of Quality and Education on all reviews needing to be submitted for review.
• Is part of the CCC patient safety program and works closely with the Patient Safety Manager.
• Responsible and accountable for development, implementation and maintenance of a Clinical Pharmacy Risk program, in coordination with other CCC entities.
• Responsible and accountable for development, implementation, and maintenance of a Veterans Experience program for the VISN CCC Pharmacy in coordination with other CCC services.
• Develops and maintains a service recovery process, as part of a robust Veterans Experience program, to sustain the highest Veteran satisfaction and safety.
• Ensures every pharmacy employee within the CCC program completes a competency checklist by the endof each Fiscal Year.
• Ensures that the pharmacy competency folders within the CCC program are complete and up to date.
• On an ongoing basis reviews Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Handbooks/Directives and all other pharmacy-related regulatory standards and assesses if standards are being met.
• Writes and updates the CCC pharmacy policies and procedures incorporating all applicable laws and regulations.

• Provides CCC pharmacy staff education on regulations and standards.
• Works with pharmacy program and CCC leadership to resolve issues where non-compliance is identified.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday-Friday 7:30AM-4:00PM, Negotiable
Remote: This position is eligible for Remote work and is exempted from return to office requirements. Remote exempted positions are reviewed annually and do not imply permanent remote work status. Selectees will work 100% of the time in a non-VA owned space outside or inside of the local commuting area of parent station. The employee's workspace must be suitable for conducting business, remote employees are expected to provide a secure, distraction-free home-based worksite with reliable high speed internet connectivity. The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Medical Center or VA Outpatient Clinic for issuance of equipment, and as needed for technical support. Selectees will be required to self-certify that their remote workplace meets all safety, privacy, and internet speed requirements. This position may fall under the Presidential Memorandum titled "Return to In-Person Work" which will require you to go into the office if the exemption is not approved when it's up for review.
Telework: Not Available
Remote: This is a remote position.
Functional Statement #: 595760
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 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.
• 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:
  • 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 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.

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).

Grade Determinations: GS-13

GS-13 Pharmacist Clinical Specialist

Experience. In addition to meeting the basic requirements you must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. The required specialized experience for this position includes: Handleing routine medication-related activites in accordance with local, network, and national policies and regulations including, 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.

GS-13 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (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: Excellent communication, interpersonal, and leadership skills will be necessary. Since the incumbent will be working between multiple levels of leadership, a demonstrated history of business acumen is required to thrive in the position. The incumbent will be expected to utilize pre-existing clinical knowledge to the highest level of their license for the advancement of evidence-based medicine and correlating clinical outcomes. Inspiring change, leading others, and driving solutions will be a daily part of the life of the incumbent.

The incumbent will lead educational campaigns generated both locally and nationally at both the VISN and station level and be responsible for the outcomes of the campaign. Thus, the incumbent will need to demonstrate the ability to work efficiently for the goals of the VA. It will be necessary for the incumbent to have a working knowledge of database systems and the ability to analyze and report data as needed. The incumbent will be able to translate complicated clinical scenarios into easy to understand vignettes to achieve the organizational goals. This ability will be reflected in their history of skillful presentations as well as professional successes. The incumbent will have experience coordinating a demanding schedule that may involve travel between several facilities throughout VISN 19.

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

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary but may involve prolonged standing and/or walking

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.