Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist) - PACT

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Mattoon (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Mattoon, IL seeks a Pharmacist GS-13 for outpatient clinical duties within the VA Medical Center. The position requires a Pharm.D.

or BS in Pharmacy, active/state licensure, and eligibility for federal employment. Priority on patient safety, pharmacotherapy, and leadership in a team setting. It supports Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) loan repayment and emphasizes regulatory compliance, formulary management, and interprofessional collaboration

Qualifications

• Citizenship and English proficiency per VA policy.
• Graduation from ACPE-accredited program (BS Pharmacy or Pharm.D.).
• Licensure: full, current, unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in US.
• Foreign grads must provide FPGEC certification and TOEFL iBT documentation.

Responsibilities

• Verify and interpret medication orders for safety and efficacy.
• Provide drug information and clinical recommendations to healthcare teams.
• Oversee technical staff in medication distribution and reconciliation.
• Continue professional development and ensure compliance with VA standards.

Skills

Oral and written communication

Regulatory knowledge

Problem solving

Pharmacy specialty knowledge

Clinical pharmacotherapy monitoring

Education

ACPE-accredited BS Pharmacy or Pharm.D.

FPGEC Certification (foreign grads)

TOEFL iBT (for FPGEE)

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. 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: 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.) (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
  • -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). (DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED)
• 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.

Grade Determinations

GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) VA or Non VA Experience.

• Examples of GS-12 experience includes, but is not limited to: handling routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations; reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacting providers as appropriate; documenting recommendations and interventions; providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies; truncing health and medication histories; performing medication reconciliation; providing drug information; assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations; documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs); assisting in medical emergencies; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution.

AND In addition, must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs):

• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and 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 a 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.

Preferred Experience

PGY1 or PGY2 residency; Board Certification; Experience practicing under a scope of practice.

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 is performed primarily in the outpatient pharmacy in Mattoon, IL, where there is a potential for exposure to communicable diseases. Such areas are adequately heated and ventilated, and safety precautions are required. In some cases, dealing with anti-neoplastic drugs may expose the incumbent to hazardous and toxic agents. The incumbent works with drugs/chemicals and must exercise precautions to avoid accidental contact to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of interview.