Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist)

Summary

The Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, Pharmacy Service, is currently recruiting for one (1) Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist) in Oklahoma City, OK.

Note: When applying, please be sure to update your resume to include the following next to each job position: Job title and Duties, Month & year, start/end dated (e.g. June 2020 to April 2021), Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week), and Series and Grade, if applicable.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Pharmacy :

This position serves as a Pharmacy Clinical Informatics Pharmacist and local subject matter expert for pharmacy related clinical information systems. The position supports the safe, effective, and cost-effective use of pharmaceuticals through optimization of pharmacy information systems and data applications. They exercise advanced clinical judgement in translating medication use requirements into system processes and decision support tools. They design, maintain, and trouble shoot pharmacy related hardware and software applications for clinical and distributive services. This includes oversight of technical and analytical data processes relating to drug accountability, drug distribution, and compliance with VA directives, local policy, and federal law. This includes but is not limited to generating data, creating reports, or managing complex integrated systems where pharmacy data is involved.

Major duties and responsibilities of the position:

Informaticist Duties: The incumbent will be the local subject matter expert for pharmacy-related EHR and automation. They will ensure informatic processes are aligned and consistently applied across the enterprise. Incumbents will communicate with the field regarding PBM Clinical Informatics briefings, notices, and/or other guidance. They will represent the Pharmacy Service as the subject matter expert on local committees involved in technologies and informatics that impact pharmacy operations and clinical pharmacy services. They will design, validate, and support testing and production environments for system patches or novel features. They will collaborate with other Pharmacy staff, Chief Health Informatics Officer or other designated Clinical Applications Coordinators(CACs)as needed to maintain Pharmacy operations. They will maintain the facility drug file parameters, local drug file(LDF)additions, pricing, alerts, high alert designations, update the pharmacy orderable item field, or any national drug file (NDF)required update. They will diagnose and implement corrective actions to pharmacy applications as needed for functionality and optimal efficiency. They will manage Formulary controls, implement quick order/order sets/restrictions for orderable items or non-formulary medications to ensure compliance with National or Local Formulary controls. This includes managing EHR ordering tools and providing information to providers for complicated medication ordering.

Automatic Data Processing (ADP) Application Duties : Incumbent will have knowledge and skills to perform in the role of a Clinical Pharmacist and ADP Specialist to maintain best practice integration, utilization, and maintenance of existing or new ADP applications. The incumbent will be responsible for upgrades, functionality, and addition of new hardware/software/apps for pharmacy service. They will participate, oversee, and report on various ADP applications.in both clinical and operational areas. Applications include but are not limited to; Barcode medication Administration (BCMA), Order entry/Results Reporting (OE/RR), EHR (CPRS or Oracle), Pharmacy Ordering Enhancement Package (POE), National/Local Drug File Management, Drug-Drug Interaction Software, VISTA ADPAC and RX Menu keys (for trending data in drug distribution/patient statistics/cost/NF/Workload/access or other), Electronic Permission Access System (ePAS), EHR Menu Key access, Controlled Substances Drug Accountability, Chemotherapy Ordering and Compounding (ITM) or equivalent, Investigational Drug Programs, Drug Recalls, REMS Drugs, Quality Assurance Monitors, Inspection or Quality Review data (OIG, TJC, DEA, WOC, or similar), Procurement, Budget, Perpetual Inventory Control, Automatic Replenishment/Ward Stock, Automated Dispensing System Equipment and Software, or other as assigned by the supervisor.

Other Duties as Assigned

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m.

Compressed/Flexible :Not available

Telework : Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 614380

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not authorized

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.
• 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

Basic Requirements

To qualify for appointment as a Pharmacist, all applicants must possess the following:

Citizenship

• Must be a citizen of the United States. Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.

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 website at: (Note: Prior to 2005, ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree programs. 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

• Must possess a 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. Pharmacists must maintain current registration if this is a requirement for maintaining full, current, and unrestricted licensure. Pharmacists who have, or have 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 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 for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

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 : Report generation, analysis, and publication using VISTA, Fileman and Sequel, Knowledge of VISTA Drugfile, menus, keys and other functionalities EHRM experience with Oracle/Cerner

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

This vacancy is being announced above the full performance level at a GS-13

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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.