Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to all US Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

Clinical Services and Education

• The Anticoagulation Program Manger CPP have full responsibility to develop, organize, and manage patients diagnosed with conditions needing anticoagulation therapy and to coordinate further diagnostic assessment through appropriate professionals when there is question regarding the treatment diagnosis. Serves as the facility Anticoagulation Program Manager.
• As the Formulary Manager, the CPP will serve as the primary prior authorization drug request reviewer. Complete and document reviews in the Electronic Health Record in a timely manner (every effort will be made to complete reviews in no later than 96 hours of medication request) and include allergy assessment, ADR information, drug-drug and drug-food interaction potential, lab value assessment, elimination of duplicate/obsolete orders and appropriate drug conversions.

Clinical Pharmacy Services:

• Directly involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas in pain as outlined in the individual's scope of practice.
• Maintains an active scope of practice, serving as a pharmacist with advanced scope of practice within the ambulatory care through provision of patient care during new patient and follow up visits for chronic disease states.
• Has expertise in the principles of clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and is knowledgeable and able to make dose adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings.
• Reviews patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes as required.
• Communicates findings with prescribers and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed.
• Documents and ensure completion of clinical interventions, encounters, alerts and consults in CPRS in a timely and professional manner as appropriate.
• Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record and/or to the provider as appropriate and is accountable for medication reconciliation according to facility policies.
• Works with other Primary Care/Mental Health healthcare professionals (i.e.Physicians, Social Workers, Nurses, etc.) and assists in providing education and medication management to patients in both individual and group settings.

Education/Teaching/Training

• Directly involved in the training or support of pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, medical students, psychology interns, fellows and other graduate or post-graduate trainees, as appropriate.
• Responsible for the self-development, mandatory training, and education necessary to maintain licensure, stay current with the practice of pharmacy and Joint Commission and OIG standards, and meet facility training requirements.
• Provides leadership, guidance, and consultation to staff thorough the Medical Center and associated Community Based Outpatient Clinics as appropriate.

Additional Role and Responsibilities

• Additional roles and responsibilities may be assigned as determined by the Chief, Pharmacy Service or the Associate Chief, Clinical Pharmacy Programs.

Outpatient Pharmacy Support

• Counsels patients appropriately regarding their medication and documents this in the notes section of CPRS.
• Serves as an authority on drug usage, interactions, over-dosages, and compliance to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians, and students.
• Verifies electronic orders entered by the physician for accuracy while performing a prospective drug utilization evaluation considering drug-drug interactions, drug-allergy contraindications, drug-disease interactions, and dosage form.
• Evaluates and utilizes professional judgment when determining service connection status, applicability of Agent Orange or combat veteran status, and co-pay status of outpatient prescriptions and resets incorrectly marked prescriptions appropriately
• Document information into VA Adverse Drug Event Reporting System (VA ADERS) and follows up as appropriate on unique cases as assigned.

Program Evaluation

• Assists in quality improvement and research initiatives and adds to the body of knowledge by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services.

Other Significant Responsibilities

• Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces as appointed or assigned by the immediate supervisor or Chief of the pharmacy service.
• Represents the Medical Center or Healthcare System at professional/program community group/events and committees.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 586450
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.
• 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

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.

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.

English Language Proficiency.

• Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)

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.

Assignments. Candidates at this grade level are to be in one of the assignments listed below. For all assignments above the full performance level, 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.

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 6 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 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: PGY1 pharmacy residency or equivalent (3 years in practice area)

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

Physical Requirements: This position provides services to patients and their families. Incumbents must be physically and mentally able to efficiently
perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Normal work of the position requires visual acuity (with the ability to read typewritten characters without strain, corrective lenses permitted), keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, manual dexterity. This position may require reaching above shoulder-level height and requires potentially moderate levels of lifting and carrying (15-44 pounds). This position requires long periods of sitting, standing and walking. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

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.