Clinical Pharmacist - Inpatient

Summary

Inpatient Clinical Pharmacist

The incumbent functions as a Clinical Inpatient Pharmacist primarily in the Inpatient Section of the Pharmacy Service at the VA Central Iowa Health Care System (VHACIHS). The position reports to the Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor, Pharmacy Service.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Pharmacy :

Duties include, but are not limited to:

Clinical: The primary function of a clinical pharmacist is to assure the safe and appropriate use of medications and be an advocate of rational drug therapy through the following list of examples and activities:

1. Provides appropriate selection of drug therapy based upon the pharmaceutical principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; monitoring for efficacy, side effects and clinical outcome, and advises prescribers as appropriate.

2. Provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicates relevant findings and/or recommendations to other health care providers in charge of the patient both orally and in writing. Monitoring will include prospective review and intervention in:

a. Therapeutic appropriateness of a patient's drug regimen

b. Therapeutic duplication in the patient's drug regimen

c. Appropriateness of the route and method of administration

d. Degree of patient compliance with the prescribed drug regimen

e. Drug-drug, drug-nutrient, drug-laboratory, or drug-disease interactions

f. Allergies

g. Clinical and pharmacokinetic laboratory data to evaluate the efficacy of drug therapy and to anticipate side effects, toxicity, or adverse effects

h. Physical signs and clinical symptoms relevant to the patient's drug therapy

3. Performs continuous evaluation of prescribed medications to assure optimal drug therapy, safety, and efficacy.

4. Provides medication counseling to patients. Medication counseling may include, depending on tour:

a. Bedside discharge counseling

b. Follow-up phone call discharge counseling

c. Counseling patients at the Pharmacy pick-up window

5. Conducts comprehensive assessments of patient's health status by completing medication histories, including patient interviews.

6. Serves as a drug information resource by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other health care professionals, patients and caregivers.

7. Participates in patient care rounds and reviews patient electronic health records.

8. Participates in the medication reconciliation process, in accordance with facility processes:

a. Pharmacists under a scope of practice (CPP): when acting as a provider, the CPP will complete a medication reconciliation including updating the medication profile to reflect an accurate, active list of VA and non-VA medications. This may include adding non-VA medications or discontinuing duplicate medications or those the patient is not taking.

b. Pharmacists not under a scope of practice: when NOT acting as a provider, pharmacists will participate in the medication reconciliation process. This may include a medication history, identifying discrepancies, coordinating with the care team to review discrepancies, processing medication orders, and providing patient medication education.

9. Reports adverse drug events (ADE), near misses, and medication errors. Documents findings according to service/facility policies and procedures.

10. Participates in the medical center medication utilization evaluation (MUE) program.

11. Completes non-formulary and medication approval consults in the acute care setting. Recommends formulary alternatives when appropriate. Reviews orders for compliance with VA Criteria for Use and non-formulary drug restrictions.

12. Implements VA medical facility policies including therapeutic interchanges and automatic substitutions (e.g., Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee activities).

13. Manages recalls and medication shortage situations by recommending alternative dosage strengths and instructions to provide appropriate substitutions for the patient.

14. Enters supply orders appropriate for patient care per facility policy.

15. Manages various actions, as appropriate, for medication orders to include: flagging prescriptions, managing view alerts, using the "hold medication" function, and generating unsigned discontinued orders using Service Reject.

16. Extends refills until next scheduled appointment under the provider's name per facility policy.

17. Completes patient electronic health record documentation with encounter information for inclusion in Pharmacy Service workload credit for all clinical assessments, interventions, recommendations and monitoring.

18. Participates in facility and service line emergency preparedness activities.

19. Participates in antimicrobial stewardship activities outlined in guidance or medical center policy as appropriate (e.g., IV to PO conversion, aminoglycoside monitoring) and providing appropriate action (e.g., recommendations to providers, therapeutic substitution).

Work Schedule : Full-time; 1130-2200, compressed tour, with rotating weekends and holidays

Telework : Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 000000

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.
• 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

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 program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.
• 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. 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.
• 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 :

GS-11 Pharmacist

Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.

GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist

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.

AND

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): 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: 1 year or more inpatient clinical pharmacist experience in a hospital setting with focus on medication distribution, pharmacy automation operation, non-sterile and sterile compounding (under USP 795, 797, 800), clinical scope of practice, and protocol driven conversions/interventions.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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.

Education

Important: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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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