Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent employees of the facility/CBOCs where this vacancy is located Central Arkansas Veteran Healthcare System. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The Research Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) will provide professional consultation to VA medical facility management. The duties for the Research Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) include (but are not limited to):

CLINICAL-
1. Provides consultation to prescribers, nurses, and other healthcare professionals concerning the usage, administration, contraindications, precautions, and interactions of drugs used in research protocols.
2. Evaluates information provided to research participants regarding the effects, usage, risks, precautions, and special instructions for drugs used in research studies.
3. Considers the age specific requirements of adult and geriatric Veterans, including the need for dose adjustment, presence of comorbidities, ability to understand and retain instructions, hearing and visual impairments, and any other conditions relevant to the age of the Veteran when assessing and providing Veteran care.
4. Calculates and dispenses medication dosages and adjusts as necessary.
5. From a verbal or written Veteran presentation of signs, symptoms, laboratory tests and diagnoses, recognizes and lists important medical problems, disease states, symptoms or abnormal laboratory values, which may necessitate altering the therapeutic regimen.

ADMINISTRATIVE AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT-
1. Provides the necessary technical knowledge and assistance as required to support the inpatient and outpatient pharmacy operations. The Research CPS will also be expected to willingly exchange ideas, assist and provide support as a "team player'' with the pharmacy staff and actively seek and maintain face-to-face contact in the usual work areas with other members of Pharmacy Service.
2. Coordinates pharmacy services for animal research labs, including procurement, distribution, and monitoring of all controlled substances used in animal labs in the medical center, and procurement of other approved drugs by request.
3. Prepares an itemized estimate of charges for drugs, supplies, and Research Pharmacy Services for new protocol and grant submissions and oversees preparation of quarterly invoices for purchases and services for all active protocols.

MEDICATION DISPENSING AND DISTRIBUTION:
1. Ensures required approvals and documents are in place prior to dispensing (e.g., R&D Committee approval, consent form, order from authorized prescriber).
2. Maintains records of receipt, dispensing, and disposal of investigational drugs according to VHA regulations.
3. Maintains a signature tracking log for pick-up of locally dispensed research drugs.
4. Verifies all newly enrolled subjects have a signed informed consent form prior to dispensing the investigational medications to the subject.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING-
1. Conducts meetings with the principal investigator or their staff members to coordinate the initiation of new studies or implementation of protocol amendments.
2. Serves as a preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents.
3. Provides education to staff and trainees regarding research policies and procedures.
4. In cooperation with administrators, clinical pharmacists and other personnel as needed, develops and coordinates educational programs for the staff to meet predefined educational needs relating to investigational drugs and new studies as they become active.

RESEARCH AND QUALITY-
1. Encourages and supports research and education missions.
2. Contributes to the body of knowledge by supporting the research and quality improvement initiatives of the Pharmacy Service, Pharmacy Residency Program, and other practitioners within the facility and/or network.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the service).
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 598-01530-F
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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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. 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).

GS 12-This recruitment is for the GS-13 grade level. GS-12 information included for qualification requirement reference.

Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following:

• 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level,

OR.

• Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (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.

GS 13

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

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• 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.

Preferred Experience: Experience with Research Pharmacy procedures within the VA.

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: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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.