Summary

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 medical problems and implementing corrective action to ensure that patients receive optimal drug therapy.

Qualifications

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
• 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.) Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the 2 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
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: GS-11: Experience - Education - and Licensure
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-12: Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements - candidates must meet one of the following: 1 year if experience equivalent to the next lower grade level - or Completion of an ACPE-accredited PharmD program
• Pharmacist assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSA's: Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff
• Knowledge of laws - regulation - and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and noon-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
• Preferred Experience: 1 or more years of experience
• Strong clinical judgement and effective decision-making skills
• Completion of a ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program
• Experience working in both inpatient and outpatient settings
• 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
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-11 to GS-12
• Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Duties

• The primary function of a clinical pharmacist is to assure the safe and appropriate use of medications - and be an advocate of rational drug therapy through the following: evaluation of the appropriateness of drug therapy based on patient specific factors
• individualization of drug therapy
• evaluation - dispensing and providing medications - and drug information
• Major duties include - but are not limited to: Performs 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 - review charts - evaluates pertinent laboratory data - drug-drug and drug-nutrient interactions - monitors for adverse drug effects - and screens for allergies
• Performs medication reconciliation at all transitions of care - including updating the medication profile to reflect an accurate - active list of VA and non-VA medications
• This may include adding non-VA medications or discontinuing duplicate medications or those the patient is not taking
• Assesses drug safety and efficacy - including evaluation of physical symptoms
• Participates in the medical center medication utilization evaluation (MUE) program
• Recommends formulary alternatives and completes non-formulary consults as assigned
• Participates in medical emergencies including code teams (if BLS or ACLS certified) and emergency preparedness activities
• Will rotate in between Outpatient and Inpatient Pharmacy
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8;00am - 4:30pm week 1
• and 12pm - 8:00pm week 2
• (Alternate shifts every other week) Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 - Clinical Pharmacist Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized