Clinical Pharmacist, Outpatient

The Clinical Pharmacist (CP) serves as a representative of the Pharmacy Service in a variety of positions throughout the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care System (VAGLAHS). The CP is a licensed professional with knowledge and proficiency in pharmacy practice including pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics for both direct and indirect patient care. The incumbent will have an assigned GLA site, West Los Angeles.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Responsible for patient care activities utilizing an advanced in-depth knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice.
• Responsible for patient care activities involving highly innovative methods of healthcare delivery, which may include clinical privileges in assigned area(s).
• Assesses the appropriateness of prescriptions/orders. Verifies new prescriptions/orders for components such as name of the patient, drug, formulary availability or status, drug dose, quantity, indications, directions, and number of refills. Processes pending prescriptions/orders appropriately.
• Applies knowledge of normal laboratory values and/or other monitoring parameters in the evaluation of patient care and recognizes significant abnormalities before the prescription/order is processed.
• Considers age/gender specific parameters when assessing poly-pharmacy, dose adjustments, and appropriateness of therapy.
• Reviews and documents drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues per facility procedures.
• Monitors patients' anticoagulation therapy through telephone consultations or clinic visits at intervals determined by the pharmacist. At each follow-up encounter, reviews lab results and evaluates patients for any changes related to their anticoagulation therapy. As needed, makes dose changes or other changes to patients' anticoagulation therapy. Documents any medication changes and therapeutic plan in electronic medical records.
• Provides medication counseling/education to patients, caregivers, etc.
• Provides clinical pharmacy consultations and drug information to professional staff on the pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics of pharmaceutical products.
• Knowledge of all aspects of the Outpatient Pharmacy and the ability to perform all tasks when required.
• Establishes and maintains good workflow patterns to keep outpatient prescription fill waiting time to less than 30 minutes.
• Trains pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and other relevant staff. Participates in all aspects of training such as conducting on-the-job training and monitoring performance.
• Serves as a preceptor and model to pharmacy trainees including residents, pharmacy students, and pharmacy technician students.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday from 7:00am-7:00pm and Saturdays from 8:00am-4:30pm, variable shifts.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000

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 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. 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.) Transcripts must be submitted.
  • 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). FPGEC must be submitted.
• 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.

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). All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of June 7, 2012 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

Grade Determinations:

GS-12

Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or, Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.

AND

Applicant must meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below:
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.

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: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing/sitting for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs, and bending/stooping. The work may entail repetitive wrist movement while using various size syringes, vial cap removal, and typing.

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.