Clinical Pharmacist

Summary

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

Duties

["Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Inpatient Pharmacy: Verifies electronic orders entered by the physician for accuracy while performing a prospective drug utilization evaluation taking into account drug-drug interactions, drug allergy contraindications, drug-disease interactions, & dosage form. Ensures indication is listed on all medication orders for patients admitted to Community Living Center (CLC). Ensures that information such as generic name of drug, manufacturer's name, lot number, control number, shipment number, etc., are properly entered into unit dose packaging machine & are recorded on log books & on labels, when appropriate. Reads & interprets prescriptions, obtains proper medication or material in the proper strength & dosage form; determines proper amount & counts, pours, or measures the medications; affixes proper label; & records required data on Pharmacy's copy of prescription/order. Answers questions from pharmacy & non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution. Clinical Functions: Evaluates patients & monitors response to drug therapy. Makes changes in drug therapy as needed & within scope of practice. Educates patients on their drug therapy with respect to compliance & proper administration, signs of toxicity, adverse effects, & interactions with other medications. Reviews drug regimens for therapeutic effectiveness & make appropriate recommendations to improve outcomes, reduce potential for serious adverse effects & promote cost containment. Advises primary provider on relevant aspects of clinical pharmacokinetics as it pertains to proper dosing within the context of relevant organ system deficiencies, monitoring of serum plasma concentrations & patient response. Serves as drug information resource by providing accurate & timely drug information & resolution of questions posed by physicians, consultants, & other health care providers regarding stability, indications, contraindications, compatibilities, dose, routes & schedules of administration, adverse effects, drug use criteria, & formulary alternatives. Complete electronic consults for clinical pharmacy services accurately & in a timely manner in accordance with VA guidelines. Sterile Preparation of Intravenous Admixture Solutions: Applies rigid aseptic techniques in preparing sterile solutions. Uses proper sterile technique to ensure the solution is not contaminated & potentially dangerous to patient. Performs scheduled cleaning & training to ensure compliance with USP 797 requirements. Oversees & double-checks all technician IV preparations. Controlled Substances: Ensures inventory discrepancies are resolved prior to dispensing, & notifies the Chief, Pharmacy Service or designee as soon as discrepancy is discovered. Fills controlled substances in both inpatient & outpatient pharmacy according to established policies & procedures. Distributes inpatient & outpatient orders & requests for controlled substances according to established pharmacy procedures & policies. Follows all VHA, DEA, & Pharmacy policies & procedures regarding controlled substances & notifies Chief, Pharmacy Service or designee of any discrepancies. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 8:00pm, & 7:00am - 5:00pm on weekends. (7 days on & 7 off schedule) Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Program Office for questions/assistance. Learn more Pay: Competitive salary & regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) & federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 56150-0 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized."]

Qualifications

*** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until Janurary 4, 2027 or until the position is filled. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be November 16, 2026. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. *** 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. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and writtenEnglish as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Education. Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) accreditedCollege 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: (312) 664-3575, or through their Web site at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/. (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. 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 (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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level) Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the requirements above, candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs: Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff. Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security. Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: This position provides services to patients and their families. Incumbents must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Normal work of the position requires visual acuity (with the ability to read typewritten characters without strain, corrective lenses permitted), keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, manual dexterity. This position may require reaching above shoulder-level height and requires potentially moderate levels of lifting and carrying (15-44 pounds). This position requires long periods of sitting, standing and walking. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.