Summary 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. Responsibilities VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) also known as the Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner (CPP)will be assigned to serve patients within the ambulatory care clinics. Clinical Teams are located in the main facility and associated community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). CPP can be consulted by team(s) for comprehensive medication management of complex patients with chronic diseases commonly seen in the primary care setting. Alternatively, identification of patients via population-based metrics, patient self-referral, outpatient pharmacy services, or other appropriate modalities can also facilitate the enrollment of a patient into the CPS clinic. The Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their individual scope of practice to directly care for patients. Clinical Functions 1. Is directly involved in the design, implementation, and monitoring of therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas. 2. Obtains medication histories from patients and summarizes significant findings in the medical record and/or to the provider as appropriate. 3. Is actively involved in reviewing patient medication regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes as required. Communicates findings with prescribers and provides appropriate alternatives to current treatment plans as needed. 4. Extends medication therapy until the next medical appointment when patients are out of maintenance medications. (limited to non-controlled substances unless CPP has appropriate credentials) Polypharmacy, Transitions of Care, and Palliative Care 1. The incumbent will have the prescribing privileges as outlined in the individual's Scope of Practice for CPP to promote and manage drug therapy based on current clinical knowledge that is consistent with policies established at the national, VISN and local levels. 2. Assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of the patients' medication regimen by reviewing medical records and/or interviewing the patient as appropriate. 3. Evaluation and recommendations on medication related problems that may include, but are not limited to: potential drug interactions including other drugs, food, laboratory tests, or concurrent disease states Polypharmacy The incumbent will act as the primary CPP for medication and polypharmacy reviews for the healthcare system. Transitions of Care Coordinates clinical pharmacy functions for patients transitioning care from various inpatient facilities to outpatient care, which includes ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) and non-ambulatory care sensitive conditions (NON-ACSC). Palliative Care CPP will be assigned to the Palliative Care team and may assist with other high risk clinical settings including, but not limited to geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) PACT teams, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury clinics. Education Participates in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other medical center personnel as required. Research In cooperation with clinical section staff and other health professionals collects and analyzes data related to ongoing clinical programs and presents it either at national meetings or publishes it in professionally representative publications. Program and Quality Management Responsible for coordination and supervision of all pharmacotherapy management activities as assigned. This includes management of a clinical practice within area of expertise including scheduling, reviewing consults, finishing encounters to meet timeliness standards, providing patient care, and assuring coverage of clinical services during one's absence. Automated Information System (AIS Security) In the performance of official duties, the employee should regularly access printed and electronic files containing sensitive data which must be protected under the provision of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, and VHA and RA policy. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00am to 4:45pm Telework: Adhoc- (Employees who telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term basis, and have completed required telework training and telework agreement.) (Portion of day acceptable) Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact:????? VISN17EDRP2@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Note: This is a Bargaining Unit position. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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 dentification 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). 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 (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. 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 InternetBased 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. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). 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-Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. 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. Assignments. Candidates at this grade level are to be in one of the assignments listed below. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Preferred Experience: Two years of direct patient care experience PGY-1 Clinical training Board of Pharmacy Specialties Certification or PGY-2 clinical training At least one year of experience in geriatrics medicine or palliative care Experience in precepting PGY-1 pharmacy residents 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-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: The position will require light carrying (under 15 pounds), light lifting (under 15 pounds), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, walking (2 hours), standing (2 hours), repeated bending, ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors. Education 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/. NOTE: If your school was accredited by Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the ACPE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. NOTE: 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). Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
