Summary The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS) who is also referred to as the Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist) works in the pharmacy of a large tertiary care medical center at East Orange, NJ, and is involved with teaching, research and all facets of patient care, with specialization in spinal cord injury (SCI) related disease states, such as ALS and MS. Responsibilities VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Duties include, but not limited to: Clinical Functions Maintains clinical practice through provision of direct patient care during new patient and/or follow-up visits. Coordinates care for patients with other healthcare providers. Provides and coordinates comprehensive medication management services for patients in designated clinic(s) according to broad scope of practice focused on chronic disease state management. Performs prospective panel reviews and actively participates in population management. Maintains an in-depth clinical knowledge of chronic disease state management. Educational Functions Serves as a preceptor and shares responsibility for training, guidance and evaluation of Ambulatory Care Students and Residents. Assumes an active role in staff development of peers and provides educational opportunities to nursing, medical staff and to other ancillary services. Collaborates with residents or other medical staff in process improvement or research, when appropriate. Assists in training new employees. Maintains knowledge and completes continuing education in therapeutic areas of expertise. Administrative Functions Independently manages medication management services for patients referred to the Cardiology Clinic. Manages quality improvement programs for medication management services in cardiology clinic(s) and coordinates activities with the other Tomah medication management services. This may include participation in Medical Use Evaluations (MUE). Evaluates pharmacy related performance measures for a designated group of patients and initiates program changes to achieve measures. Interpersonal Relations Functions Maintains excellent working relationship with department and organization staff. Courteous and professional at all times. Effectively promotes teamwork among staff, residents and students. Provides prompt and personal attention to each patient. Demonstrates responsiveness to customer needs and is empathetic to their problems. Performs other duties as assigned by management. Work Schedule: Intermittent Variable Rotating Shifts-minimum 4 days/week Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 21K89-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. 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 evaluation 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. 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: Citizen of the United States. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) 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 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. (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.) English Language Proficiency - must be proficient in spoken and written English Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements the following criteria must be met: Experience: must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12. Pharmacists assigned to this position must also demonstrate the following Knowledge Skills & Abilities: Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters. Preferred Experience: Candidates must demonstrate an ability to function independently and effectively in a collaborative Spinal Cord team care environment and meet qualifications as a PGY2 preceptor. Competitive candidates will have completed a PGY2 ambulatory care or general medicine residency -or- have completed a PGY1 residency with significant ambulatory care and/or spinal cord experience. Candidates without residency training but have extensive clinical experience in spinal cord care may be considered. BCACP certification is highly desirable. We are looking for a candidate who is able to work a minimum of 4 days/week. 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). 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. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for 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.
