Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current permanent VA employees, employees of other Federal agencies. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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The primary function of a discharge clinical pharmacist is to coordinate the transition of care from inpatient to outpatient by assuring safe and appropriate use of medications at discharge through the following: providing bedside medication counseling of patients being discharged from an inpatient stay; evaluation of the appropriateness of drug therapy based on patient specific factors; individualization of drug therapy; evaluation, dispensing and delivering medications and drug information.Functions of the Position:

General

• Receives, interprets and evaluates all medication orders for both accuracy and appropriateness using acceptable pharmacy practice standards. Review will include patient's allergy history, drug-drug, drug- nutrient, drug-laboratory, and drug-disease state interactions and assessment for clinical relevance.
• Ensures all medications are filled in a timely fashion.
• Ensures drugs dispensed are completely and correctly labeled and packed in full compliance with federal rules and regulations.
• Provides findings and responses to drug information requests to prescribers in a timely manner and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed.
• Investigates and resolves medication discrepancies with the prescribing provider or assigned clinical pharmacy specialist.
• Notifying supervisor or other designated personnel of actual or anticipated shortages of medications and supplies.

• Oversee the Hampton VAMC "Meds to Beds" discharge program as outlined in approved pharmacy SOP.
• Collaborate with other members of the pharmacy service to ensure timely processing, dispensing, and delivery of medications to discharging patients.
• Completes full and thorough medication reconciliation on each discharging patient prior to completion of discharge medication orders and documents in the electronic medical record in collaboration with the assigned clinical pharmacy specialist.
• Delivers discharge medications to the bedside and provides complete counseling of changes to the previous home medication regimen.
• Provide medication counseling and education in written or digital format to the patient or caregiver, as needed.

• Treats patients, team members, other facility employees, and visitors with professional courtesy and respect.
• Responds to the needs of the Veteran and staff in a timely manner.
• Demonstrates appropriate and proactive interpersonal skills to achieve the goals and meet the needs of the service.
• Demonstrates the ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality.

• Serves as a drug information resource providing education regarding up-to-date information on medication use to patients, caregivers, and other members of the healthcare team.
• Maintains an ongoing basic knowledge of pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics.
• Keeps abreast of new developments in pharmacy practice and drug therapy utilizing current pharmacy and medical literature, as well as participating in continuing education programs.
• Assumes an active role in training pharmacy personnel to include students, externs, interns, residents, and professional and non-professional staff members.
• Utilizes effective written and verbal communication techniques when providing education to others.

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.

• 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.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Regulations.

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 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 in accordance with VA Regulations.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).

Grade RequirementsClinical Pharmacist, GS-12 (Full Performance Level)

Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following: 1) 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or 2) Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.

Preferred Experience: A plus to have discharge pharmacist
experience. Outpatient experience is preferred.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: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.

Assignment. A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations. These include, but are not limited to: reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacting providers as appropriate; documenting recommendations and interventions; providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies; taking health and medication histories; performing medication reconciliation; providing drug information; assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations; documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs); assisting in medical emergencies; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution.

Reference: VA Handbook 5005/55, Part II, Appendix G15, Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard, June 7, 2012. Available in the Human Resources Office.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Physical requirements for this position are as follows: Light lifting, 15-25 pounds with occasional heavier lifting; Light carrying, 15-25 pounds with occasional heavier carrying; Straight pulling (up to 2 hours); Pushing (up to 2 hours); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Repeated bending; Walking (up to 8 hours); Standing (up to 8 hours); Ability to wear Personal Protective equipment (PPE) as needed.

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.