Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist with a PharmD or BS in Pharmacy and preferred PGY2 Pain Pharmacy Residency or equivalent experience. The role involves independent clinical practice, patient care, and advanced pharmacotherapy management.

Applicants must hold an active pharmacist license, meet English proficiency requirements, and may qualify under grandfathering provisions. This is a high-responsibility clinical position within the VA system.

Qualifications

• Pharmacist licensure in the United States with current/ unrestricted license.
• Graduation from ACPE-accredited program (PharmD or BS) or foreign degree with FPGEC/TOEFL.
• English language proficiency and U.S. citizenship or grandfathering provisions as applicable.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct patient care at the highest level of clinical practice.
• Work independently within the scope of practice to care for patients.
• Monitor and interpret outcomes of drug therapies and relevant labs.
• Demonstrate strong communication and coordination across clinical and management settings.

Skills

Communication skills

Program management

Regulatory knowledge

Analytical skills

Clinical pharmacy practice

Education

PharmD or BS in Pharmacy

FPGEC Certification

Job description

The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist is a licensed pharmacist, preferably with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists accredited residency. The Clinical Pharmacy Specialist functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their individual scope of practice to directly care for patients.

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:
  • (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. (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).

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-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist:

Preferred Experience:

• Completed a PGY2 Pain Pharmacy Residency or have equivalent work experience.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
• Understand regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
• Demonstrate strong/effective program management skills during previous employment. This includes solving problems, coordinating, and organizing individual AND group responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
• Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Experience:

In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1-year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.In addition, Pharmacists assigned to this position must also demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs):

• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical management decisions.
• Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
• Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise
• Expert knowledge of specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy
• Advanced 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-13.

Physical Requirements:

Work requires moderate lifting, walking, bending, stooping, standing, pushing, and pulling. Ability to lift/push/pull light loads, carts weighing 40 pounds or more. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination. Normal range for hearing and vision.