Clinical Pharmacist

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; White City (OR); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Clinical Pharmacist to ensure safe, effective medication use across the continuum of care. This licensed professional applies pharmacology and pharmacotherapy to optimize patient outcomes and support high-quality care.

GS-12 level; requires ACPE‑accredited Pharm.D. or BS Pharmacy, full, current licensure, and English proficiency. Foreign graduates may qualify with FPGEC; non-citizens may be considered per VA policy.

Qualifications

• ACPE-accredited College/School of Pharmacy graduate with BS Pharmacy or Pharm.D.

Responsibilities

• Ensure safe, effective, and appropriate use of medications across the continuum of care.
• Apply pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapy knowledge to optimize medication-related outcomes.

Skills

Knowledge of professional pharmacy

Oral and written communication

Laws, regulations & standards

Drug therapy monitoring & outcomes

Education

BS Pharmacy

Pharm.D.

Job description

The Clinical Pharmacist is a licensed health care professional responsible for the safe, effective, and appropriate use of medications across the continuum of care. The incumbent applies professional knowledge of pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacotherapy, and medication use systems to optimize medication-related outcomes and support high-quality patient care.

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: 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.
• 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-12 Clinical Pharmacist

• Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following:
  • 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or
  • Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.
• 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.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.