Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to US Citizens. If you are a Current Federal employee apply CBSU-12996430-26-DAP NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Major Duties Include, but are not limited to:

• Executing therapeutic plans utilizing the safest and most cost-effective medication treatments
• Performing the physical measurements and objective assessments necessary to ensure the patient's appropriate clinical responses to therapy
• Ordering, subsequent review, and action on appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor, support, and modify the patient's drug therapy
• Ordering and prescribing medications, vaccines, devices, and supplies to include initiation, continuation, discontinuation, monitoring, and altering therapy; prescribing, administering, or dispensing controlled substances may be included in the scope of practice only if the clinical pharmacist is authorized by their state license to do so and comply with the limitations and restrictions on that authority.
• Ordering consults and referrals, as appropriate, to maximize positive drug therapy outcomes; examples include, but are not limited to, referrals for routine care or assessment to clinical nutrition professionals, prosthetics, social workers, integrated mental health professionals, or other specialty areas.
• Obtaining and documenting informed consent for treatments and procedures that require consent for which the clinical pharmacist is responsible, including those where the clinical pharmacist is the prescriber of a treatment that requires consent or when they are providing medication management services on behalf of the original prescriber. NOTE: The clinical pharmacist must have sufficient knowledge and training in the treatment or procedure, its indications, risk and benefits, complications, and alternative treatments, to effectively counsel the patient.
• Conducts virtual and in-person (when appropriate) encounters with patients for CMM in the Cardiology practice area
• Follows-up with patients in a timely manner and monitors for drug therapy response, potential adverse drug reactions, allergies, compliance, laboratory results, and other monitoring measures as appropriate; treatment plan adjustments are made accordingly based on assessed measures.

Clinical - Indirect Patient Care Activities

• Reviews patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, pharmacokinetic in Cardiology, and therapeutic outcomes as required; information is communicated with team members and appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans are provided.
• Promotes and monitors compliance for established drug therapy policies.
• Coordinates with and refers to appropriate diagnosing providers when disease progression or events occur that are outside the Cardiology CPS SOP.
• Identifies patients who may benefit from CMM through population management, team meetings, and/or inpatient cardiology team rounds.
• Documents appropriate subjective and objective information, as well as clinical interventions in the electronic medical record and in a timely, professional manner.

Program Management/Administrative

• Participates in the appropriate, effective, and safe use of pharmaceuticals by contributing to criteria development, data collection, quality assurance and drug use evaluation and other quality improvement activities for core practice area(s) and cardiology.
• Serves as the pharmacist subject matter expert on assigned cardiology related committees and subcommittees.
• Supports and promotes compliance with established drug therapy policies, formulary management and criteria or prior authorization requirements that have been approved by national, VISN, or local pharmacy benefits management (PBM) and focuses on quality patient care in a cost-effective manner.
• Participates and facilitates departmental and organizational compliance with The Joint Commission (TJC), Office of General Counsel (OIG), and other applicable regulatory and accreditation regulations and guidelines regarding patient safety and care.
• Supports efforts to improve fiscal and quality outcomes specific to cardiology management.

Education And Research

• Provides formal and informal education and in-services to pharmacy, medical, nursing and other staff as requested.
• Serves as a subject matter expert for cardiology on assigned committees, workgroups or interdisciplinary teams.
• Provides education to patients, their families and caregivers about medications, patient responsibilities, and information on health promotion.
• Participates in self-development activities to maintain and strengthen professional competence in cardiology.
• Willing to serve as a clinical instructor or preceptor for pharmacy students and/or residents.
• Assists in new employee orientation education sessions as needed.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00AM to 4:30PM
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 554-60784-0
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 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. .

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed.
• Education. Candidates must be an 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.

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, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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: Highly desirable candidates will have recent experience in a current or previous job (including residency training) that includes direct patient care and comprehensive medication management under a scope of practice; advanced pharmacy degree (PharmD); PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency; PGY2 specialty residency or equivalent experience in the specialty applicable to this position.

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-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: The work involves long periods of sitting, standing, and walking. The work requires regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, lifting. The incumbent must be a mature, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, demonstrating a positive attitude, compassion, courtesy and concern for staff and patients. Must possess math skills in order to convert medications to the correct dosing. The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position involves lifting 25 pounds or less, able to visually confirm drug order correctness, and able to stand for periods of 30 minutes or greater.

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.