Clinical Pharmacist

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Saint Cloud (MN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Minnesota seeks a Clinical Pharmacist to handle routine medication activities, review and verify orders, process fills, and advise clinicians on therapy choices. A Pharm.D. or BS Pharmacy with ACPE accreditation and a current state license are required.

Candidates should also be able to review patient medications, allergies, and labs from the medication record, ensuring safe and effective therapy within VA policies.

Qualifications

• US citizenship required; non-citizens allowed only per VA policy.
• English proficiency in speaking and writing as required by law.
• ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. or BS Pharmacy degree.
• Full, current license to practice in the U.S. (state/territory/DC).

Responsibilities

• Review, interpret, and verify medication orders.
• Process and fill medication orders accurately.
• Provide recommendations to clinical staff on therapy orders.
• Review patient meds, allergies, labs, and medication records.

Skills

Pharmacy practice

Oral & written communication

Regulatory knowledge

Drug therapy monitoring

Education

Pharm.D. or BS Pharmacy

ACPE accreditation

Job description

The Clinical Pharmacist has primary emphasis on handling routine medication-related activities in accordance with local and national policies and regulations. These include, but are not limited to: reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders; processing and filling medication orders; making recommendations to clinical staff regarding medication therapy orders; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs and other pertinent information from the medication record.

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: [phone], 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 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.
  • NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. § 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.

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

Clinical Pharmacist GS-12

• 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs):
  • Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.
  • Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-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

Clinical pharmacy experience in hospital of clinical setting. Experience with the VA healthcare system is desirable.

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-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.