Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Wilkes-Barre (Luzerne County); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EDRP eligibility

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Pharmacist (GS-12) to provide clinical pharmaceutical services in accordance with professional standards and VA policies. Qualified candidates must hold ACPE-accredited Pharm.D.

or BS Pharmacy, or FPGEC with TOEFL iBT, and be licensed as a pharmacist in the United States. Eligibility for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) may apply, with program details determined after review.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to patients and health care staff.
• Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards for drug distribution and security.

Skills

Communication

Pharmacy practice

Regulatory knowledge

Education

ACPE Pharm.D.

BS Pharmacy

FPGEC Certification

Tools

ASHP Accreditation

Job description

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. 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.
• Language: Applicants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
• Education:
  • Applicants for a Pharmacist position within the VA must possess a 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. 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).
• Licensure GS-12: Individuals must hold a full, current and unrestricted license at the GS-12 grade 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.

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:

• In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must be able to show one of the following:
  • Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program, OR
  • 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• Specialized Experience GS-12: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates 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

Creditable Experience

1. Knowledge of Professional Pharmacy Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with professional pharmacy practice. Professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional or unlicensed graduate pharmacist as defined by the appropriate licensing board.
2. Residency and Fellowship Training. Residency and fellowship training programs in a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for- year basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists (ASHP). A fellowship program that is not accredited by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) will need to have comparable standards for experience to be creditable (Professional Standards Board refers to the Deputy Chief Consultant for Professional Practice for the determination).
3. Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to pharmacy experience at the next lower level. Experience as a Graduate Pharmacist is creditable provided the candidate was used as a professional pharmacist (under supervision) and subsequently passed the appropriate licensure examination.
4. Part-time Experience. Part-time experience as a professional pharmacist is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a pharmacist employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service.

Your resume must demonstrate this experience and include the month/year and number of hours worked per week at each job or you will be found ineligible

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The work requires physical exertion such as reaching, bending, standing, walking, and climbing. Occasionally may need to lift 10 - 20 pounds. Work Environment involves every day risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical in a clinical pharmaceutical setting. The work area is heated, cooled, lighted, and ventilated. Employees may be required to use protective clothing or gear such as masks, gowns, goggle, gloves, or shields.