Clinical Pharmacist

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

The clinical pharmacist is a licensed professional with knowledge and proficiency in pharmacy practice including pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics.

The incumbent is responsible for analyzing real and potential drug-related problems and implementing corrective action to ensure that patients receive optimal drug therapy. The clinical pharmacist also applies standards relating to all aspects of the distribution and manages both controlled and non-controlled drugs. The primary function of a clinical pharmacist is to assure the safe and appropriate use of medications, and to be an advocate of rational drug therapy through the following:

• Assessing the appropriateness of drug therapy.
• Individualizing drug therapy based on patient specific factors.
• Dispensing medication and providing drug information.

A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with all applicable local, state, federal and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), rules and regulations. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness.
• Processing and filling medication orders.
• Interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy which ensures safe and effective care.
• Reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, laboratory results, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems by contacting providers as appropriate.
• Documenting recommendations and interventions.
• Providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies.
• Taking health and medication histories.
• Performing medication reconciliation.
• Providing drug information.
• Assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, non-formulary reviews and medication usage evaluations.
• Documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs).
• Assisting in medical emergencies.
• Providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication preparation and distribution.

Clinical:

• Provides appropriate drug selection based upon the principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, monitors for efficacy, side effects and clinical outcome, and advises prescribers as appropriate.
• Provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicates both orally and in writing relevant findings and/or recommendations to other health care providers in charge of the patient. Monitoring will include prospective review and intervention in:
  • Therapeutic appropriateness of a patient's drug regimen.
  • Any therapeutic duplication in the patient's drug regimen.
  • Appropriateness of the route and method of administration.
  • Extent of patient compliance with the prescribed drug regimen.
  • Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-laboratory, or drug disease interactions.
  • Clinical and pharmacokinetic laboratory data to evaluate the efficacy of drug therapy and to anticipate side effects, toxicities, or other adverse effects.
  • Physical signs and clinical symptoms relevant to the patient's drug therapy.
• Provides continuous evaluation of prescribed medications to assure optimal drug therapy.
• Provides medication counseling to patients.
• Completes medication histories including patient interviews.
• Serves as a drug information resource by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other health care professionals, patients and caregivers.
• Participates in patient care rounds, chart reviews, evaluates pertinent laboratory data, drug-drug and drug-nutrient interactions, monitors for adverse drug effects, and screens for allergies.

Dispensing:

• Reviews all medication orders for appropriateness, drug selection, dosage, route of administration and the amount, prior to dispensing.
• Ensures all medication orders are entered into the electronic patient medical record.
• Fills all orders in a timely fashion; reviews the patient's allergy history, drug-drug, drug-nutrient, drug-laboratory and drug-disease state interactions and assesses for clinical relevance.
• Reviews medication profiles and monitors for compliance or potential abuse and resolves or reports any problems encountered.
• Selects, compounds and dispenses a full range of drugs including extemporaneous preparations, special formulations, narcotics, investigational drugs, oncolytic agents, etc., in both outpatient and inpatient settings.
• Maintains adequate drug stock and inspects drug storage areas.

Additional Duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Varies- nights and rotating shifts
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 21M50-A
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact visn2edrpcoordinators@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

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 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.
  • 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.

Creditable Experience
Knowledge of Professional Pharmacy Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with professional pharmacy practice. Professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional or unlicensed graduate pharmacist as defined by the appropriate licensing board.

Residency and Fellowship Training. Residency and fellowship training programs in a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for- year basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists (ASHP). A fellowship program that is not accredited by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) will need to have comparable standards for experience to be creditable (Professional Standards Board refers to the Deputy Chief Consultant for Professional Practice for the determination).

Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to pharmacy experience at the next lower level. Experience as a Graduate Pharmacist is creditable provided the candidate was used as a professional pharmacist (under supervision) and subsequently passed the appropriate licensure examination.

Part-time Experience. Part-time experience as a professional pharmacist is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a pharmacist employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service.

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-12 Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following:
  • 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, OR
  • Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program
• Assignment. A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations. These include, but are not limited to: reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacting providers as appropriate; documenting recommendations and interventions; providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies; taking health and medication histories; performing medication reconciliation; providing drug information; assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations; documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs); assisting in medical emergencies; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (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, which is the grade at which an applicant may be selected for.

Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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 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.