Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs Employees. Current VA Pharmacists and Current and Past HPTs/residents are encouraged to apply. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

Videos

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

Duties to include but not limited to:

• Monitors and manages drug therapy for veterans including but not limited to the following chronic disease states: hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, COPD, and heart failure to achieve optimal outcomes as measured by VHA Clinical Performance Measures or provider guidance: Makes drug and dosage adjustments as needed per scope of practice.
• Operates independently under a defined scope of practice to initiate, change, and discontinue prescription and OTC medications in an outpatient clinical pharmacy practice setting. In collaboration with the appropriate provider, provides additional advanced medication services outside of defined clinical scope without need for provider co-signature and excluding controlled substances.
• Completes drug adherence assessment and assists the provider with medication management challenges (e.g. non-adherence, adverse drug event identification and reporting, chronic narcotic use, polypharmacy, drug/drug interactions, etc.) as needed.
• Improves clinical care to veterans through interventions to reduce the frequency of drug related problems and adverse drug events.
• Provides close follow-up medication management care via telephone or other electronic mechanism (i.e. MyHealtheVet, E-mail, etc.) per clinic policy.
• Serves as an authority on appropriate pharmaceutical care provision to patients for medical, nursing and pharmacy staff. Recognized as a drug information resource.
• Evaluates of a wide variety of patients in selected patient care areas with appropriate recommendations regarding drug therapy.
• Maintenance of close liaison with providers while developing, implementing, and maintaining effective mechanisms to promote the safe, economical and rational use of medications.
• Routinely advises medical staff on therapeutic matters with respect to therapeutic options, dosages, uses, general administration, toxicity, precautions, drug interactions, adverse reactions, bioequivalence and bioavailability
• Provide veteran and staff education/training regarding the safe and effective use of medications
• Be a point of contact for veteran and clinic staff in various pharmacy related areas. Activities can be broad and cover the entire spectrum of pharmacy services
• Ensures that veterans have their pharmaceutical needs met in a timely and patient centric manner.
• Participate in evaluation of professional pertinence reviews of peer performance as assigned by Chief, Pharmacy Service or designee such as the Associate Chief, Pharmacy, Clinical Services
• Serves as a consultant and active participant in the medication use evaluation process. Assistance in developing medication use criteria as well as organizing, conducting and coordinating medication use studies
• Maintain extensive contact with providers to minimize and/or quickly resolve medication-related problems and improve the value of pharmaceutical services provided.
• Serve as liaison between the clinic staff and facility leadership/PBM to meet medication cost savings initiatives and assist providers to achieve targets set.
• Assists in the training of pharmacy employees, American Society of Health Care Pharmacist (ASHP) accredited residents and serves as a preceptor for Doctor of Pharmacy students as assigned.
• Integrates research protocol criteria and study medication use into the patient pharmaceutical care dispensing procedures

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm; Subject to change based upon agency needs

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 evaluation
• 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 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

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:

Clinical Pharmacy Specialist-GS-660-13

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. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs: a. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions b. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area. c. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise. d. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy. e. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: Completion of ASHP-accredited PGY1 or PGY2 in relevant practice area, board certification or other applicable certifications, at least 2 years of experience as a PACT or Ambulatory Care CPS in a related field >/=50% of practice in ambulatory care setting or current/previous experience providing direct patient care under a primary care scope of practice.

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


Physical Requirements: See VA 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.

Area of Consideration:
Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility
2. All other VA Employees

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.