Clinical Pharmacist

Summary

The Clinical Pharmacist is a licensed professional providing knowledge and proficiency in pharmacy practice including pharmaceuticals, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics. The primary function of the Clinical Pharmacist is to assure the safe and appropriate use of medications and be an advocate of rational drug therapy for patients.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Pharmacy :

The Clinical Pharmacist performs duties in both the inpatient and outpatient pharmacy settings to ensure that patients receive safe and appropriate drug therapy. The clinical pharmacist provides oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution and serves as a drug information resource for patients and other members of the healthcare team.

Major duties may include (but are not limited to):

• Provide appropriate selection of drug therapy based pharmaceutical principles.
• Provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicates relevant findings and/or recommendations to other health care providers.
• Provides medication counseling to patients.
• Serves as a drug information resource by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other health care professionals, patients, and caregivers.
• Evaluates prescriptions for appropriateness.
• Performs medication reconciliation at all transitions of care.
• Assesses drug safety and efficacy and reports Adverse Drug Events (ADE) and medication errors.
• Recommends formulary alternatives and completes non-formulary consults as assigned.
• Provides pharmacokinetic consultation.
• Manages recalls and medication shortage substitutions.
• Manages various actions, as appropriate, for medication orders such as managing view alerts and using the "hold medication" function.
• Extends refills until next scheduled appointment under the provider's name.
• Performs all tasks related to medication preparation and dispensing for Outpatient and Inpatient services.
• Reviews all medication orders for appropriateness, drug selection, dosage, and amount.
• Ensures all medication orders are entered into the patient's EHR.
• Reviews patient allergies, drug-drug interactions, and drug-nutrient interactions for clinical relevance.
• Review medication profiles and monitors for compliance or potential abuse.
• Selects, compounds, dispenses and fills a range of drugs.
• Maintains adequate drug stock, inspects drug storage areas.
• Supervises the activities of support personnel.
• Ensures proper labeling of all dispensed drugs and pharmaceuticals.
• Actively participates in the pharmacy-training program for students, residents, technicians, and pharmacists.
• Conducts on-the-job training for all pharmacy operations processes and procedures.
• Maintains basic knowledge of pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics.
• Actively participates in staff development.
• Participates in research activities in accordance with FDA guidelines.
• Coordinates the receipt and distribution of all drugs in an investigational and/or clinical evaluation status.

Performs other necessary duties as assigned.

Work Schedule : Rotating Day Shifts (0700-1530, 0730-1600, 0800-1630, 0830-1700, 0930-1800). Will be required to work at least one weekend per month (weekend tours include 0700-1530, 0730-1600, 1530-midnight). Will be required to work some holidays and provide coverage for odd tours and nights (1230-2100, 1530-midnight, 2000-0830, 2000-0730, midnight-0800). May be required to work extra weekends and holidays during periods of staffing shortages. Tour of duty can be changed based on agency's needs.

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: GS11: 58564F; GS12: 62176F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

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

• NOTE: Only the GS12 grade level hires in this occupational series are eligible for EDRP authorization.

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.

Language: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

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. 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.)

OR

• 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).

NOTE: If you are using education to qualify for this position, you must supply a copy of your transcripts with your application package for verification, or you may be disqualified from consideration.

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.

• EXCEPTION: Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. For grade levels above the GS-11, the candidate must be licensed.
  • FAILURE TO OBTAIN LICENSURE: In all cases, pharmacists must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the unlicensed pharmacist with the written requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. Failure to become licensed within 2 years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0660 Pharmacist series and may result in termination of employment.
• NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. § 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.

Grandfathering Provision: All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

1. Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
3. If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

GS11 GRADE REQUIREMENTS:

Education/Licensure/Experience: None beyond the BASIC requirements.

GS12 GRADE REQUIREMENTS:

Experience: In addition to the GS-11 requirements, must have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS11).

Knowledge, Skill, and Ability Requirements:

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: One year of experience working as a licensed pharmacist in a hospital setting processing orders and experience with sterile compounding.

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

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary in nature and is performed in a well-lit, temperature controlled office environment.

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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