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This position is located at VA Puget Sound, a two-divisional university affiliated teaching and research Medical Center with pharmacy location at American Lake in Tacoma, Seattle and outlying community based clinics. The Pharmacy has a pivotal role in the care of Veterans being seen in our centers of excellence in primary care or one of the many specialty services provide by this tertiary Medical Center. 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 at https://www.acpe-accredit.org/ (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) 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). (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) 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. (COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED for GS-12) 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. 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). Preferred Experience: Currently working in an Inpatient setting with at least 1 year of current Inpatient experience. Recent compounded sterile preparation mixing experience. Grade Determinations: GS-11: Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level): 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 (GS-11). OR, Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. OR, Have you completed an accredited VA PGY-1 or PGY-2 program, OR, Are you on track to complete an accredited VA PGY-1 or PGY-2 program by the time of hire/appointment, which is directly related to the position to be filled; such as: handling 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 (KSAs). In addition to the basic requirements and experience, pharmacist assigned to this position must also demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities: 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/55, Part II, Appendix G15, June 7, 2012 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: Heavy lifting (45 lbs. and over), moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 lbs.), and light lifting ( under 15 lbs.), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands, walking, standing, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, depth perception, ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors, hearing (aid permitted), and mental and emotional stability. Environmental factors include, constant noise, dust, working closely with others, working alone, and protracted or irregular hours of work. ["The incumbent integrates the knowledge and skills of pharmacists and technicians into the distributive and clinical processes of providing outcome-driven pharmaceutical care to Veterans; reviews and monitors drug therapy, provides professional advice and consultative services, educates peers, patients, and families, documents care in the medical record according to standard operating procedures, and continually integrates new knowledge and technology to improve the quality of care provided to Veterans. Duties include, but are not limited to: Promotes pharmaceutical care service to Veterans in medical center clinics and on inpatient wards and provides prescription dispensing and controlled substance/high-cost drug accountability. Reviews patient's medications, allergies, labs and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacts providers as appropriate and ensures orders are clinically appropriate and meets formulary requirements, provides drug information to providers, assists with therapeutic substitutions, non-formulary reviews and documenting activities in the CPRS record; documents recommendations and interventions according to pharmacy standard operating procedures. Reviews, interprets, and verifies medication orders for appropriateness; collaborates with the providers at the front end of the prescription order process to improve patient outcomes; ensures computerized patient record system (CPRS) pending prescriptions are triaged, prioritized and processed in a timely manner as it relates to window waiting times, discharges, delivery to wards and mail out. Educates patients, patient's family, and caregivers in issues relating to drug therapy and distributes and communicates drug information to other health care providers. Assists with the development of quality and safety improvement initiatives and the collection and analysis of data. Examples include but are not limited to order sets, MUE's, protocols, monographs, and participation in committees or task groups. The incumbent works under the Pharmacy Program Manager /Supervisor for the respective area and division. The Pharmacy Supervisor provides guidance, general instruction on policy changes and reporting requirements. The pharmacist plans and completes tasks based on established protocols and accepted pharmaceutical practices. Sequence of timing of work is left to the discretion of the pharmacist, according to general policy and needs of internal customers and patients. Work Schedule: Day shift regular tour 0700-1530/0800-1630 includes evenings, weekends and occasional nights and holidays\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]