The primary function of the 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. The incumbent is responsible for analyzing drug- related medical problems to ensure that patients receive optimal drug therapy.
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. 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.) (2) 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). 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). 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. Grade Determinations: GS-11 Pharmacist Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Assignment. Pharmacists at this grade level serve in a developmental capacity. GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level) Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following: 1. 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or 2. Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. Assignment. A pharmacist in this assignment handles 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. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs): 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. 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: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion. The physical demands of the work includes moderate lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 44 lbs., pushing and pulling of large medication carts, light lifting of under 15 pounds, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, good dexterity (both hands required), walking up to 4 hours, standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time, kneeling, repeated bending/stooping, climbing, use of legs and arms, operation of vehicle/motorized cart, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20, specific visual requirement, ability to read fine print on labels, depth perceptions, ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors, hearing (aid permitted), clear speech, and emotional stability.
Major duties include, but are not limited to: Clinical i. The pharmacist provides appropriate selection of drug therapy based upon the pharmaceutical principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; monitoring for efficacy, side effects and clinical outcome; and advises prescribers as appropriate. ii. Provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicates relevant findings and/or recommendations to other health care providers in charge of the patient both orally and in writing as assigned. Monitoring will include prospective review and intervention in: 1. Therapeutic appropriateness of a patient's drug regimen 2. Therapeutic duplication in the patient's drug regimen 3. Appropriateness of the route and method of administration 4. Degree of patient compliance with the prescribed drug regimen 5. Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-laboratory, or drug disease interactions 6. Clinical and pharmacokinetic laboratory data to evaluate the efficacy of drug therapy and to anticipate side effects, toxicity, or adverse effects 7. Physical signs and clinical symptoms relevant to the patient's drug therapy iii. Performs continuous evaluation of prescribed medications to assure optimal drug therapy. iv. Provides medication counseling to patients as needed. v. Completes medication histories including patient interviews as assigned. vi. Serves as a drug information resource by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other health care professionals, patients and caregivers. vii. Participates in multidisciplinary review of patients, reviews charts, evaluates pertinent laboratory data, drug-drug and drug-nutrient interactions, monitors for adverse drug effects, and screens for allergies as assigned. viii. May perform medication reconciliation, 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. ix. Reviews and evaluates requests for non-formulary and restricted drugs for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria where applicable. x. Assesses drug safety and efficacy, including evaluation of physical symptoms. xi. Reports adverse drug events (ADE), near misses, and medication errors in alignment with VA ADERS reporting program. xii. Participates in the medical center medication utilization evaluation (MUE) program as assigned. xiii. Implements P&T Committee policies including therapeutic interchanges and automatic substitutions to include appropriate patient and provider education. xiv. Enters supply orders appropriate for patient care per facility policy as needed. xv. Manages various actions, as appropriate, for medication orders to include: flagging prescriptions, managing view alerts, using the "hold medication" function. xvi. Serves as a role model and preceptor to pharmacy students and residents. Dispensing/Staffing i. Reviews all medication orders for appropriateness, drug selection, dosage, and route of administration prior to dispensing. ii. Fills all orders in a timely fashion; review of the patient's allergy history, drug-drug, drug- nutrient, drug-laboratory and drug-disease state interactions and assessment for clinical relevance should be performed and dealt with appropriately. iii. Reviews medication profiles and monitors for compliance or potential abuse; problems encountered shall be resolved. iv. Maintains adequate drug stock, inspects drug storage areas, supervises prepacking and the operation of automated dispensing equipment. v. Ensures drugs dispensed are completely and correctly labeled and packaged in full compliance with Federal rules and regulations. Education and Research i. Participates in the training and in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy students, pharmacy residents, and other medical center personnel as required. ii. May serve as preceptor for pharmacy students and pharmacy residents in accordance with established protocols. Drug Information i. Maintains a current knowledge of therapeutics and disease management. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 0700-1700 (part time, varying hours) Telework: Ad-hoc may be available at supervisory discretion. Functional Statement #: 93674-A, 91598-A