Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Open to all U.S. Citizens. First area of consideration will be given to current, permanent employees of the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center & subsidiary CBOCs; and past/current/upcoming VA Health Professional Trainees (HPTs) of related educational field.

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FUNCTIONS include but ar not limited to:
Clinical

• Provides timely responses to drug information requests from patient care providers and nurses.
• Evaluates other care provider's orders for appropriateness of therapy, incompatibilities, side effects and interactions of drugs and drug products.
• Utilizes patient care information systems such as EHMR to obtain critical patient data elements and to document pertinent patient care issues.
• Provides medication use counseling at time of patient encounter.
• Counsels patients on drug-drug interactions, adverse effects, food-drug interactions, product availability, and PNT Committee and pharmacy policies as appropriate.
• Manages recalls and medication shortage situations by substituting alternate dosage strengths or products per facility policy.
• Enters supply orders appropriate for patient care per facility policy.
• Manages various actions, as appropriate, for medication orders to include: flagging prescriptions, managing view alerts, using the "hold" function, and generating unsigned discontinued orders using the "service reject" function.
• Extends refills until next scheduled appointment under the provider's name per facility policy.
• Responds to Code Blue emergencies in the inpatient setting.
• Directly involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring of therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes by direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas.
• Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record and/or to the provider as appropriate.
• Performs medication reconciliation at all transitions of care, including updating the medication profile to reflect an accurate, active list of VA and non-VA medications.

Dispensing

• Responsible for verification and evaluation of licensed independent practitioners' medication orders/prescriptions and input of written orders, when applicable.
• Selects, compounds, dispenses, and fills a range of drugs including extemporaneous preparations, special formulations, ophthalmics, narcotics, investigational drugs, oncolytic agents, etc in inpatient and/or outpatient areas and follows appropriate quality assurance procedures as applicable.
• Checks prescription orders for safety, accuracy, and appropriateness prior to dispensing.
• Verifies and fills all orders in a timely fashion.
• Inputs medication allergy data when information provided by patient/care giver/provider.
• Enters non-VA medication data when information provided by patient and/or caregiver.
• Ensures that drugs dispensed are completely and correctly labeled and packaged in full compliance with Federal rules and regulations.

Education and Training

• Participates in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technician, pharmacy residents, pharmacy students, and other medical center personnel as required.
• Effectively instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medical devices.
• Is skilled at using both written and verbal communication techniques in teaching others.
• May serve as a preceptor for pharmacy students and/or pharmacy residents.
• Has a good working knowledge of information resources such as Micromedex, Clinical Pharmacology, AHFS Drug Information, Facts & Comparisons, or other relevant pharmaceutical references, both written and electronic.
• Maintains a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management.
• Provides timely and accurate responses to drug information inquiries from all customers.

Administration

• Ensures that work of the team is carried out on tours when no supervisory pharmacist is present.
• Acts as point-of-contact with Patient Care Services for resolution of time-sensitive nursing/pharmacy issues.
• Contacts additional staff, pharmacist or technician, to report for duty in the event of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) activation, and emergency or other situations where additional staff is necessary to perform the work at hand.
• Supervises the activities of support personnel and communicates with supervisory staff regarding issues that arise during the time period when no supervisory pharmacist is on site.

Research

• Participation in research activities must be in accordance with FDA guidelines and regulations and VHA policy.
• Coordinates the receipt and distribution of all drugs in an investigational and/or clinical evaluation status and maintains appropriate records regarding their use as applicable.

Work Schedule: Intermittent - Various shifts available between 7:00am to 8:00pm Mon - Sunday
Compressed/Flexible:NA
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 91523A
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.

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.
• 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.
• Education: You must be a 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.
  • NOTE: 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).
• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

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:

Pharmacist, GS12
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 security.

Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Part 2, Appendix G15.

Grandfathering Provision: 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). All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

1) Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
(3) If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Preferred Experience: None

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

Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the duties of the position. The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing at least 50 lbs., and bending/stooping.

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.