Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. The position is open to current, permanent employees of the Veterans Administration.

Videos

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

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSABILITIES:

PROGRAM MANAGEMENT:

• Manage workload associated with long term care programs ensuring deadlines are met to minimize patient care issues and maximize financial reimbursements.
• Review all new updates to programs including VHA Handbook, VHA Directives, Joint Commission changes and other applicable regulatory groups for program impact and strategies to maintain compliance with changing guidance.
• Meeting all regulatory components associated with long term care programs.
• Coordination of all pre-onsite review documentation.
• Program submissions associated with new programming or program changes to reviewing agencies.
• Responsible person during onsite visits of reviewing organizations.
• Provides input for standardization of pharmaceutical care formatting such as progress notes, templates, etc.
• Providing expertise on facility, VISN and national subject matter groups.
• Coordination of specific internal reviews to assure quality and documentation of for long term care programs.
• Fiscally sound decisions supporting medical center goals.

CLINICAL FUNCTIONS:

Medication therapy management: Assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of patients' medication regimens by reviewing medical records, other interdisciplinary communications and interviewing/examining the patients as appropriate. Recommended therapeutic drug regimens take a risk versus benefit and cost versus benefit approach. Evaluations, recommendations, and management of medication-related issues will be provided in a timely fashion and be based on published treatment guidelines, evidence-based medicine, patient factors, and formulary issues and follow sound medical and pharmaceutical practices, and may include, but are not limited to:

• Potential drug-drug, drug-food, drug-disease state, and drug-laboratory interactions
• Contraindicated medications
• Inappropriate therapeutic regimens
• Adverse drug reactions and allergy assessment
• latrogenic reactions
• Poor or unusual therapeutic responses
• Compliance/adherence or misuse of medications; evaluation of patient understanding of treatment regimen
• Discontinuation of medications when appropriate i. Review and documentation of medication regimen, including Over the Counter, Herbal, and Non-VA Medications
• Order appropriate lab tests to ensure patient safety and improve outcomes of the medication treatment plan and therapeutic endpoints will be communicated with the providing team.

Medication therapy management and management drug therapy-related issues may be carried out by the following actions by the Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner:

• Make direct changes to medication regimen (e.g. dose adjustment, additions, deletions)
• Recommendations to responsible provider for additions or deletions to the medication regimen
• Referral back to provider or consult requests to appropriate specialist when conditions necessitate and are outside the scope for the Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner
• Education to patients and/or caregiver regarding patients' medical conditions and on proper use and care of their medications

Documentation in the medical record of all relevant findings from drug therapy monitoring and management activities in a timely manner (verbally communicated when necessary) for other healthcare professionals who are responsible for patient care to increase effectiveness and minimize potential risks of drug therapy.

Patient and caregiver medication and disease state education and counseling.

Age, Development, and Cultural needs of patients: Provides patient care that is appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patient.

EDUCATIONAL:

• Conducts in-service education programs for physicians, nursing, pharmacy staff and others as assigned.
• Conducts educational sessions for patients as appropriate to improve patient compliance and understanding of their medication regimen
• Educates and trains other health care disciplines (e.g., house staff, nurses, dietetics) on the safe, rational, and cost-effective use of medications.
• Participates in the training of pharmacy residents and students.
• Maintains and improves professional competency by keeping up with information on new drugs, new drug therapies, and innovations in pharmacy practice and must demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate for the area of practice specialty.

RESEARCH: Participates in research activities

DRUG SECURITY: Responsible for assuring that all aspects of drug control, drug accountability, and drug security are maximized and are in accordance with local medical center policies and other applicable regulations

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm (Work schedule subject to change based on the needs of the facility)
Compressed/Flexible:Not Available
Telework: May be authorized at supervisor's discretion
Functional Statement #: 0000

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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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:

Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)

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.

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
Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, which are:
1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level,
OR
Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program
AND these demonstrated KSAs:

• 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.

You must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

Facility Program Manager:
Manages all aspects of a distinct program to include policy development, quality resources and specialty functions unique to the program to optimize cost effectiveness (budget) and patient outcomes.
Coordinates a single program area of a complex pharmacy operation, or multiple program areas within a facility to develop, organize, manage, and control complex pharmacy programs.
Develops, organizes, coordinates and manages single or multiple program areas within the medical facility; this may include a single program area at multiple facilities.
The Program Manager title is reserved for those individuals who have one or more of the following: supervisory responsibilities for various sections within Pharmacy Service; a complex program requiring coordination of multiple locations such as medical center care facilities, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), rural health, telemedicine, etc; specialized areas of a complex nature such as nuclear pharmacy, quality assurance, pharmacy informatics, clinical applications coordinator, Home Based Primary Care, pharmacoeconomist or liaison pharmacist duties requiring the coordination of processes with other medical facilities or VISNs. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the KSAs identified in subparagraph 3b(3)(b)1 which are:

• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
• Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
• Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
• Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
• Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

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

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; 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.