The Clinical Pharmacist (CP) serves as a representative of the Pharmacy Service in a variety of positions throughout the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Health Care System (VAGLAHS). The CP is a licensed professional with knowledge and proficiency in pharmacy practice including pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics for both direct and indirect patient care.
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, 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.) School transcripts must be submitted with your application. OR, 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). A copy of the FPGEC certificate must be submitted. 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. An active copy of unrestricted license to practice pharmacy must be submitted. Grandfathering Provision. All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of June 7, 2012 are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: 1. Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. 2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. 3. If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. 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 have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11), or, Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. AND Applicant must meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below: 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/. (VA Handbook 5005/55, Part II appendix G15 effective 6/7/2012, Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard GS-0660 Veterans Health Administration) The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing/sitting for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs., and bending/stooping. The work may entail repetitive wrist movement while using various size syringes, vial cap removal, and typing.
Duties include but are not limited to: Responsible for patient care activities utilizing an advanced in-depth knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice. Responsible for patient care activities involving highly innovative methods of healthcare delivery, which may include clinical privileges in assigned area(s). Assesses the appropriateness of prescriptions/orders. Verifies new prescriptions/orders for components such as name of the patient, drug, formulary availability or status, drug dose, quantity, indications, directions, and number of refills. Processes pending prescriptions/orders appropriately. Applies knowledge of normal laboratory values and/or other monitoring parameters in the evaluation of patient care and recognizes significant abnormalities before the prescription/order is processed. Considers age/gender specific parameters when assessing poly-pharmacy, dose adjustments, and appropriateness of therapy. Reviews and documents drug errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues per facility procedures. Identifying and taking specific corrective action for drug-induced problems according to protocol. Provides medication counseling/education to patients, caregivers, etc. Provides clinical pharmacy consultations and drug information to professional staff on the pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics of pharmaceutical products. Recognizes suicide risk factors and understands facility policies regarding suicide prevention, support systems, and referral resources. Documents and ensures timely completion of alerts, encounters, notes, and consults per local policy. Promotes and monitors compliance with established drug therapy policies. Actively participates in Hospital Emergency Response drills and is knowledgeable of Pharmacy Emergency Preparedness procedures including, but not limited to, responding to medical codes, activation of emergency drug cache, etc. Responsible for ensuring appropriate and timely medication reconciliation, documentation, and patient education upon discharge. Checks inpatient and outpatient prescriptions/orders that are filled by pharmacy technicians ensuring their accuracy and completeness prior to dispensing/administration. Assists in identifying, distributing, and balancing workload and tasks among pharmacy technicians. Responsible for ensuring appropriate and timely medication reconciliation, documentation, and patient education upon discharge. Checks unit dose prepackaging and compounding completed by pharmacy technicians for accuracy prior to dispensing. Effectively organizes workload, plans short and long range objectives, solves problems, and achieves goals within budget and staffing constraints. Participates in quality assurance activities related to pharmacy issues. Assists in monitoring of medication stock levels and ordering of medications when necessary. Responsible for the security and dispensing of control substances, including compliance of DEA and VA policies, including the Code of Federal Regulations. Assists with the Quality Assurance (QA) program within Pharmacy Service as it relates to clinical and non-clinical pharmacy practice. Provides meaningful data to analyze the effectiveness of clinical pharmacy initiatives/services and reporting practices. Participates in the Medication Use Evaluation (MUE) process by assisting in the identification of problem areas, development of evaluation criteria, analysis of findings, and recommendation of corrective action(s) and follow-up. Effectively instructs patients and family members in the appropriate use of medications and medicaldevices and documents comprehension. Is able to adjust communication and tracking methods basedon age and developmental considerations. Refers patients to educational programs provided at themedical center by multidisciplinary teams as applicable. Serves as a preceptor and model to pharmacy trainees including residents, pharmacy students, and pharmacy technician students. Work Schedule: Monday-Sunday and holidays. Variable shifts which may include days, evenings, or overnight shifts. Tours may be adjusted to meet medical center and patient care needs. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000