Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist)

The Cincinnati VA Medical Center is looking for a Clinical Pharmacy Provider (CPP) /Acute Care, licensed professional who works collaboratively, serving as a medication expert in the acute care setting. CPP functions at the highest level of clinical practice and works independently under his/her scope of practice to directly care for patients.

The purpose of the acute care CPP is to provide clinical pharmacy care and management of inpatients.

The Cincinnati VA Medical Center (CVAMC) is a two-division campus located in Cincinnati, OH and Fort Thomas, KY serving 15 counties in Southwest OH, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana with 6 Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in Bellevue, KY; Florence, KY; Lawrenceburg, IN; Hamilton, OH; Clermont County, OH, and Georgetown, OH. The CVAMC also supports two off main campus locations in the Cincinnati area via an Eye Center and Mental Health Outreach Community Division.


Duties:

• Conducts comprehensive appraisals of patients' health status by taking health and medication histories, documenting relevant findings in the patient's medical record.
• Evaluates drug therapy through direct patient care involvement, with clinical assessment and objective findings relating to patient's responses to drug therapy and communicating and documenting those findings and recommendations to appropriate individuals and in appropriate records (i.e., patient's medical record).
• Evaluates medication orders and medication profiles for appropriateness of therapy, dosage range, synergistic, antagonistic, and cumulative effects, etc., and communicates questionable situations to the provider when necessary.
• Develops and document therapeutic plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic, and most economical medication treatments.
• Orders, perform, review, and/or analyze appropriate laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies necessary to monitor and support the patient's drug therapy.
• Initiates, modifies, or discontinues medications based under a scope of practice.
• Assists in the management of medical emergencies, adverse drug reactions, and acute and chronic disease states; BLS/ACLS certified.
• Identifies and take specific corrective action for drug-induced problems according to protocol.
• Orders consults (i.e. dietician, social work) as appropriate to maximize positive drug therapy outcomes.
• Serves as a liaison between Pharmacy Service and the Acute Care areas.
• Assists in discharge planning and ensures continuity of care for patients leaving the hospital.

Dispensing:

• Evaluates and processes physicians' orders for patients in assigned area, clarifying unclear orders with the provider when necessary.
• Reviews medication orders for appropriateness, drug selection, dosage, route of administration, and amount prior to dispensing.
• Reviews patients' allergy history, drug-drug-drug-nutrient, drug-laboratory, and drug disease state interactions and assesses for clinical relevance.
• Provides lead and pharmacist staffing assistance in the Inpatient Pharmacy as scheduled by supervisor, including clinical weekend coverage.

Education/Research:

• Serves as a role model and preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents. Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program consisting of students, interns, residents, and professional and non-professional staff members. Conducts on-the job training and provides guidance through designated programs.
• Provides clinical pharmacy educational programs to pharmacy and non-pharmacy staff.
• Assesses and provides for educational needs of the patient and family to help ensure that pharmaceutical outcome goals are met.
• Develops, conducts, and presents the results of medication usage evaluations and outcome measures
• Designs and/or participates in research activities involving drug therapy or outcome measures.
• Completes all mandatory training courses prior to due dates.

Administration:

• Attends, participates, and contributes as an active member on various Health Systems or VISN committees: Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, works groups (such as Root Cause Analysis), task forces, Institutional Review Board, etc.
• Participates in various Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiatives, including medication usage evaluation (MUE).
• Documents and reports clinical pharmacy interventions, positive patient outcomes, and cost-effective initiatives.
• Ensures optimum utilization of all available resources (personnel, fiscal, equipment, space, etc.)
• Serves as the Acting Associate Chief and provides coverage for other areas in the Inpatient Pharmacy as needed.
• Participates in the focused and ongoing professional practice (FPPE & OPPE) evaluation process.

Supervisory Controls related to the position:

• The employee is administratively responsible to the Associate Chief, Inpatient Pharmacy. The incumbent is also accountable to the Chief, Pharmacy Service or their designee, for professional licensure, competency, and continuing education.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 07:00 am - 3:30 pm
Telework: AD HOC, per agency policy discretion
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 91353-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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:

• Citizenship. 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.)
• English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• 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: (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.)
• (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[1]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. 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.

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.

1.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.
2.Failure to Obtain License. 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.

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-13 Experience.
In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS12.

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: PGY1, PGY2 pharmacy practice residency and/or one to three years or more of clinical pharmacy practice in an internal medicine/acute care role.

Resume: When submitting your resume, duties performed, including month and year for each job listed must be provided.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is 13.

Physical Requirements: Work requires moderate lifting, walking, bending, stooping, standing, pushing, and pulling.

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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.