Clinical Pharmacist - Inpatient

Veterans Health Administration; Iowa City (IA); On-site; USD 107,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Health Administration is seeking an experienced staff pharmacist to work with inpatient medical and surgical teams in Iowa City. The role involves direct patient care, therapeutic drug management, and collaboration with providers to optimize pharmacotherapy across care settings.

Responsibilities include reviewing medication orders, counseling patients on discharge plans, and ensuring safe, effective use of medications.

Qualifications

• Transcript must be submitted with your application.
• If using foreign education, you must submit a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, assess, monitor, and document therapeutic plans.
• Provide medication counseling and discharge planning.
• Discharge and coordinate pharmacotherapy with medical teams in inpatient and clinic settings.
• Supervise pharmacy technicians and students; ensure safe, effective medication use.

Job description

• Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

The staff pharmacist functions at a high level of clinical practice, working both independently under an individual scope of practice to directly care for patients and in conjunction with medical and surgical teams to advise on the most appropriate pharmacotherapy.

Key Responsibilities

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES: Responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following: designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing the most optimal, clinically appropriate, and cost effective medication treatments; helping achieve positive patient-centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams in assigned areas; ordering and interpreting laboratory tests and other data to help determine efficacy and anticipate adverse effects and toxicity of medication therapy; reviewing patient medication history and reconciling any discrepancies; monitoring patients for clinically relevant signs or symptoms of medication therapy; provides medication counseling to patients upon discharge to confirm treatment plans; interpreting, evaluating, and approving medication orders for inpatients, procedural areas, and clinics; accurately dispensing medications in a timely manner to meet patient care needs; and precepting pharmacy residents and students.

The pharmacist will be assigned on a rotating basis to inpatient medical and surgical service care teams. The staff pharmacist will be consulted by their team(s) for comprehensive medication management and pharmacy services for complex patients in the acute care setting. Pharmacists will also provide pharmaceutical and operational support for all procedures and treatments provided in all ICVAHCS clinics, including CBOCs.

FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION: Clinical Functions: The primary mission of a pharmacist is to implement safe and appropriate use of medications.

They are to be advocates and provide management of logical drug therapy including the following list of activities outlined in VHA Directive 1108.07, but is not limited to: Clinical - Direct Patient Care Activities that require a scope of practice: Core functions include medication management in practice areas identified in the individual scope of practice. Participation in patient care rounds.

Design, implement, document, monitor, and adjust patient-specific therapeutic drug plans to achieve definite outcomes through direct interactions with patients and providers in assigned areas.

Clinical - Indirect Patient Care Activities Review, interpret, evaluate, and approve patient medication orders and regimens for clinical effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, route of administration, efficacy, side effects, potential drug interactions, appropriate monitoring, and therapeutic outcomes as required. Communicate findings with prescribers and provide appropriate recommendations to current treatment plans as needed.

Monitor and report drug errors, physical signs and/or symptoms, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues with current medication regimen. Document findings regarding facility procedures. Apply knowledge of normal laboratory values in the evaluation of patient care, recognize abnormalities and their clinical significance, and make therapeutic adjustment recommendations based on objective laboratory findings.

Assist Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee or pharmacy service leadership with medication use evaluations and other quality and safety initiatives. Effectively conduct medication interviews with patients and serve as the medical or surgical team's expert on the patient's medication regimen, compliance, and perspective. Make recommendations based on sound pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic and other parameters to optimize safety and efficacy of the patient's medication regimen.

Counsel patients on all pharmaceutical changes, provide expert counseling and teaching about changes made and document all activities. Pharmacy Operations: Maintain proficiencies and compliance in compounded sterile preparations and compounded hazardous medications, including appropriate preparation, stability, handling, beyond use dating, and disposal in accordance with USP and standards.

Maintain competence in all operational aspects of pharmacy service, including all electronic medical record software, automation, distribution, labeling, bar code medication administration, packaging, documentation, controlled substance accountability, and inventory management. Supervise pharmacy technicians and pharmacy students in performance of any operational functions.

Ensure workload is completed in a timely manner and prioritize tasks both personally and pharmacy wide to provide the most efficient and relevant service delivery. Effectively communicate these priorities to pharmacy staff. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 3:30pm; rotating nights, weekends and holidays Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements & Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application. 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/.

Which agency is hiring for this position?

This position is with Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

What is the salary for this position?

The posted pay range is $107176 – $155001/yr.

What is the application deadline?

Applications close on 2026-10-15.

How many openings are available?

There are 3 openings for this position.

Who is eligible to apply?

This position is open under the 'Fed Internal Search' hiring path.

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