Inpatient Staff Pharmacist

Summary

We invite you to come and join the Richmond VA Medical Center! A Clinical Pharmacist in a large and complex hospital pharmacy, serving a 427 authorized bed teaching general medical and surgical center with a large ambulatory care section may be assigned to any of the various sections of the department to meet the needs of the service. The Clinical Pharmacist is responsible for all aspects of the normal function of the department and supervision of the technicians and clerical personnel.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

VA Careers - Pharmacy :

Duties to include but not limited to:

1. Inpatient Section: Unit Dose Area
   • Incumbent performs all duties associated with a pharmacist's professional services, (i.e., receiving and interpreting physician's medication orders, correcting and clarifying these orders, offering professional judgment on the appropriateness of a particular order and/or alternate information or suggestions for therapy on a selective basis.) Incumbent has the ultimate responsibility in facilitating the delivery of the correct drug in the correct dosage to the correct patient in order to be administered at the correct time 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, prior authorization drug requests 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.
   • Clinical activities in this area including monitoring for drug-drug interactions, drug-lab interactions, and drug-food interactions. The pharmacist also reviews the patient profile for therapeutic duplications and potential adverse drug actions.
   • In performance of unit dose activities, the pharmacist is also responsible for the supervision and monitoring of technician activities in this area. These activities include, but are not limited to:
     
     
     • Correct filling and dispensing of both STAT and scheduled doses from any or all of the inpatient areas (i.e., unit dose, narcotic, IV, etc.).
     • Adherence to established unit dose policies and procedures and procedures such as stop order policies, scheduled drug, PRN scheduling and one-time only drug changes in BCMA/Vista.
2. IV Admixture Section
   • Responsible for facilitating preparation and delivery of all compounded intravenous fluids as ordered by the physician.
   • Requires the application of professional knowledge and judgment in interpretation and clarification of parenteral drug orders. The compounding of IV admixtures requires a specialized body of knowledge involving compatibilities and stabilities of parenteral drugs in various solutions.
   • Clinically, the staff pharmacist must be knowledgeable in therapeutic application of the various products dispensed including parenteral drugs, intravenous solutions, hyperalimentation solutions, investigational drugs, oncology drugs and other items such as blood components and solution administration sets.
   • In performance of IV additive activities, the pharmacist is responsible for adhering to USP 797 and 800 guidelines for compounding sterile products and hazardous products and the supervision and monitoring of technician activities in this area. These activities include, but are not limited to:
     
     
     • Electronic verification of the physician's IV orders to the BCMA record.
     • The preparation of IV admixtures utilizing aseptic technique.
     • Adherence to established IV additive policies and procedures such as
       
       
       • Strict adherence to aseptic technique procedures.
       • Proper stop electronic order information for antibiotics through BCMA/Vista.

• The preparation of IV additive labels in the proper format using the IV labeling and computer or other methods available.
• The proper use of sterile transfer devices, (syringe needles, closed system transfer devices, pipettes, and other various sterilizing filters
• The proper cleaning of the laminar flow hood, the proper maintenance of the laminar flow hood filters, personally perform IV sterility testing, and the record keeping of the above-mentioned tasks.
• Daily monitoring and documentation of laboratory values regarding TPN patients. In the absence of technicians, the pharmacist is responsible for performance of the abovementioned items. The pharmacist is always responsible for the final check of all parenteral products dispensed by pharmacy technicians.

Work Schedule : Rotating shifts to include days, nights and weekends

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 00000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

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 ( 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: 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. (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree programs; today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy) 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 (TOEF iBT).
• Licensure: Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia.
• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

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 : 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

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (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.

Preferred Experience: Inpatient pharmacy experience, compounded sterile products, Omnicell, CPRS/VISTA experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is 12.

Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position involves: Must be in overall good health. The work requires standing, walking, moderate lifting and carrying of items. The work also requires the use of fingers, the ability to read without strain (far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other), and the ability to hear (aid permitted).

Education

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: 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:

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.

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.