Clarification from the agency

Open to Madison VA 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

FUNCTIONS OF POSITION:
The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) serves as a mid-level provider with prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's Scope of Practice. The Acute Care CPS functions at the highest level of clinical pharmacy practice to provide comprehensive medication management (CMM) in the acute care practice setting. CMM is a patient centered approach to improving patient health outcomes through optimizing medication use delivered by a CPP
working in collaboration with the patient and other healthcare providers. CMM includes, but is not limited to: designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing best evidence, 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; attending patient codes; evaluating a provider's orders as to appropriateness based on patient medication profiles; inputting information into the Electronic Health Record; verifying orders entered by healthcare providers as needed; and ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy.

A. Clinical

1. Evaluates orders for appropriateness and drug interactions, allergies, adverse reactions, and duplicate therapy.
2. Intervenes with physicians and other staff members prospectively and retrospectively for rational, safe, and effective drug therapy and documents interventions.
3. Actively participates in medical team and multidisciplinary team rounds.
4. Knows and follows formulary guidelines and ensures therapeutic and cost-effective alternatives to non-formulary drugs.
5. Monitors drug therapy and provides information to other health professionals.
6. Accountable for medication reconciliation according to procedure. Utilizes motivational interview skills with patient, family, caregiver, and other healthcare professionals to collect patient specific data, conduct medication history, and identify additional data needed for
   medication review assessment and medication reconciliation.

B. Distributive Functions

1. Serves as a Pharmacy Service resource on inpatient and outpatient pharmacy services including CBOCs.
2. Oversees control and inventory of Controlled Substances.
3. Reviews service connection for appropriate costs and payment and applies VA local standards for appropriate dispensing and filling.
4. Assists with inventory control and appropriate purchasing practices.
5. Accurately compounds, dispenses medications, and provides pharmaceutical care in accordance with departmental policies and procedures. Participates in maintaining quality control of pharmacy products.
6. Maintains sterile and non-sterile compounding competency as required by USP.

C. Administrative

1. Responsible for the daily operation status of various aspects of pharmacy programs.
2. Prioritizes work and makes administrative decisions when supervisory pharmacists are not available or when immediate decisions are required with policy and procedures, VA regulations and state and federal pharmacy laws serving as operational guidance.
3. Dispenses and provides pharmaceutical care accurately and efficiently.
4. Interface with other health care providers and administrators to ensure compliance with established pharmacy and medical center policies and procedures.
5. Serves as a liaison with providers for formulary management issues and acts as a liaison between Pharmacy Service and other health care providers.
6. Actively participate on intradepartmental committees and workgroups when requested. Provides leadership on committees and workgroups when requested.

Work Schedule: Compressed Schedule Nights
Telework: AD-HOC
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 03011F

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 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 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

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:
(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.) (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

OR,

Foreign Education:
(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).(CERTIFICATION REQUIRED)

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-13 GRADE DETERMINATION:
Specialized Experience: Must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12. Experience includes but not limited to: 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.

**** NOTE: Experience must be well documented in Resume/CV to qualify for the position.****

Assignments: Candidates at this grade level are to be in one of the assignments listed below. The higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS): 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.

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs:
GS-12
1. Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
2. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.
3. Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
4. Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
GS-13
1. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
2. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
3. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
4. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
5. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

**** NOTE: KSAs must be documented in Resume/CV to be qualified for the position. ****

Preferred Experience: In addition to basic Qualification Standard: completion of ASHP-accredited PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and/or PGY-2 Specialty Pharmacy Residency (in an applicable specialty) or equivalent experience in the major duties for at least 3 years.

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: 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.