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Clinical Pharmacist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The clinical pharmacist is a licensed professional with knowledge and proficiency in pharmacy practice including pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics. The pharmacist is responsible for analyzing real and potential drug-related medical problems and implementing corrective action to ensure that patients receive optimal drug therapy.




Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$130,752 - $169,981 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CBTB-13057697-26-IJ
Control number
883851200

Videos

Duties

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Clinical
1) The pharmacist provides appropriate selection of drug therapy based upon the pharmaceutical principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; monitoring for efficacy, side effects and clinical outcome; and advises prescribers as appropriate.
2)Provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicates relevant findings and/or recommendations to other health care providers in charge of the patient both orally and in writing. Monitoring will include prospective review and intervention in:
a. Therapeutic appropriateness of a patient's drug regimen
b. Therapeutic duplication in the patient's drug regimen
c. Appropriateness of the route and method of administration
d. Degree of patient compliance with the prescribed drug regimen
e. Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-laboratory, or drug disease interactions
f. Clinical and pharmacokinetic laboratory data to evaluate the efficacy of drug therapy and to anticipate side effects, toxicity, or adverse effects
g. Physical signs and clinical symptoms relevant to the patient's drug therapy
3) Performs continuous evaluation of prescribed medications to ensure optimal drug therapy.
4) Provides medication counseling to patients.
5) Completes medication histories including patient interviews.
6) Serves as a drug information resource by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other health care professionals, patients and caregivers.
7) Participates in patient care rounds, review charts, evaluates pertinent laboratory data, drug- drug and drug-nutrient interactions, monitors for adverse drug effects, and screens for allergies.
8) May 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. This may include adding non-VA medications or discontinuing duplicate medications or those the patient is not taking.
9) Assesses drug safety and efficacy, including evaluation of physical symptoms.
10) May reports adverse drug events (ADE), near misses, and medication errors in alignment with VA ADERS reporting program.
11) Participates in the medical center medication utilization evaluation (MUE) program.
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws
VA Careers - Physical Therapy: https://youtube.com/embed/Gi2hoFqIoqY
VA Careers - Prosthetics: https://youtube.com/embed/3NUvF5jjErQ
VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU



Work Schedule: Tuesday-Friday 10:30am - 9:00PM
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 59895F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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.
Licensure:

Applicants must be licensed to practice pharmacy in a State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.

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-12 (or equivalent) Grade Level - In addition to the requirements for the GS-11 (or equivalent) level, applicants must have a minimum of one year of professional pharmacy experience.

Preferred Experience:

Applicant's qualifications background must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies necessary to perform the work of the position. Pharmacy work requires knowledge of the use, clinical effects, and composition of medications, including their chemical, biological, and physical properties. Qualifying professional pharmacy experience may involve, but is not limited to:

  • Dispensing medications prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and providing information to health practitioners and patients about proper usage of medications and side effects;
  • Evaluating medication use patterns and outcomes for patients in hospitals or managed care organizations;
  • Performing administrative, consultative, or staff advisory work for a medical facility's pharmacy program;
  • Planning, monitoring and evaluating medication programs or regimens;
  • Establishing medication-handling procedures for the storage and preservation of medications;
  • Researching medical literature and/or clinical medication information to provide accurate responses to inquiries; and/or
  • Maintaining all medication records required by law.


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


Medical Requirements: Applicants must be able to distinguish basic colors.

Education

A doctoral degree in Pharmacy that is recognized by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education(external link) (ACPE) or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education(external link) at the time the degree was obtained.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Agency contact information

Isaiah Jones
Phone
210-617-5300 X218107
Email
Isaiah.Jones@va.gov
Address
Carl Vinson VA Medical Center
1826 Veterans Boulevard
Dublin, GA 31021
US

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https://vacareers.va.gov/

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