Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist)

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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Duties

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The Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner (CPP), Mental Health & Integrated Care Program (MHICM), utilizes expertise in the area of mental health to provide medication management to optimize patient care. The CPP utilizes specialized expertise in the area of mental health aligning with the goals and objectives of medicine and specialty services to optimize patient care and is responsible for oversight of all clinical pharmacy activities and consultations in outpatient mental health care settings for patients in whom they are assigned.

VA Careers - Pharmacy :

Duties include but not limited to:

• Attends and participates in team meetings, conferences, and other meetings as required for the purpose of making recommendations and providing consultation in all Pharmacy-related matters to mental health for Mental Health Service Line.
• Directly assists other providers in rational medication selection by providing written and/or verbal consultation.
• Responsible for planning, developing, and maintaining effective clinical pharmacy programs by implementing rational cost-effective drug therapy to improve patient outcomes within medicine and specialty services.
• Provides assistance in development of policies as requested.
• Participates in developing criteria for drug utilization evaluations, data collection, trending reports, and other quality assurance activities as required to ensure appropriate and safe drug utilization.
• Assists in initiation of medication use improvement strategies including development of quick order sets, clinical reminders, patient/provider education handouts, and development and implementation of pharmacotherapy protocols.
• Performs data analysis to measure performance, trend changes, and implement quality improvement strategies.
• Serves as liaison to pharmacy service for Outpatient Mental Health to medicine and specialty services, serving as the local VAMC subject matter expert in services in the broad area of advanced pharmacotherapy, with special emphasis on Mental Health.
• Evaluates the risk-benefit ratio of various therapeutic alternatives, develops a therapeutic plan utilizing the most efficacious, least toxic and most economical pharmacological treatment modalities available, and communicates these plans to the patients' physician.
• Determines if a referral to a physician is necessary when disease progression occurs, or adverse drug events require a higher level of treatment intervention.

Work Schedule : Full-Time, Based on the needs of the service.

Telework : Ad-Hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 71838F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact View email address on click.appcast.io, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 ( 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: View phone number on click.appcast.io, or through their Web site at: (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 Tect (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.
• 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. The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) and 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.
• 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: A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) license is preferred. Candidates are not required to have a DEA license at the time of application but must be prepared to obtain one within 90 days of employment.

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

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: This position requires some regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time, typing, walking distances within the medical center, lifting/carrying (up to 40 pounds) of pharmaceutical supplies, and bending/stooping/stretching. Mental and emotional stability, working closely with others, normal ranges of hearing and vision (corrected, or with use of aids) ability to effectively communicate, and the ability to distinguish between basic colors and shades of color are required.

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

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.

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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.

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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.