Summary
The clinical pharmacist provides comprehensive pharmaceutical care to hospitalized patients in accordance with federal law - VA policy - and recognized standards of practice. The incumbent ensures the safe - effective - and economical use of medications through accurate dispensing - clinical monitoring - and participation in interdisciplinary care. The clinical pharmacist also applies standards relating to all aspects of distribution and control of scheduled and nonscheduled medications.
Qualifications
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
- 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: (312) 664-3575 - 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 InternetBased 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
- Exception
- Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B)
- The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist
- For grade levels above the GS-11 - the candidate must be licensed
- 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: Clinical Pharmacist GS-12 GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level) (a) Experience or Education
- In addition to the basic requirements - candidates must meet one of the following: 1
- 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level - or 2
- Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program
- (b) Assignment
- A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local - Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) - and national policies and regulations
- These include - but are not limited to: 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
- taking 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
- 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
- Preferred Experience: Inpatient pharmacy experience
- Board certification
- 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
- The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12
- Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
Duties
- VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Clinical: The pharmacist provides appropriate selection of drug therapy based upon the pharmaceutical principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
- monitoring for efficacy - side effects - and clinical outcome and advises prescribers as appropriate
- Performs evaluation and assessment of prescribed medication to ensure optimal drug therapy
- reviews medication orders for appropriateness - therapeutic duplication - drug-drug and drug-disease interactions - allergies - dosage - and route of administration prior to dispensing
- Provides medication counseling to patients - family members and care givers as appropriate
- Performs medication reconciliation upon all transitions of care
- Participates in interdisciplinary rounds - providing evidence-based recommendations for medication therapy management
- Monitors and documents patient response to drug therapy - including laboratory results and clinical parameters - and communicates necessary interventions to the medical team
- Provides pharmacokinetic consultations - including dosing of antimicrobials - anticoagulants - and other medications requiring therapeutic drug monitoring
- Evaluates and provides recommendations for medication regimens to ensure compliance with VA formulary - criteria for use - and antimicrobial stewardship initiatives
- Documents all clinical interventions and recommendations in the electronic medical record according to facility policy
- Participates in quality assurance activities - medication use evaluations - and performance improvement initiatives related to patient safety and clinical outcomes
- Reports adverse drug events (ADE) - near misses - and medication errors in alignment with VA ADERS reporting program
- Order-Entry/ Dispensing: Reviews / accurately verifies all medication orders for appropriateness - drug selection - dosage - route of administration and the amount prior to dispensing
- Reviews the patient's allergy history - drug-drug - drug-nutrient - drug-laboratory and drug-disease state interactions and assessment for clinical relevance should be performed and dealt with appropriately Selects - compounds - dispenses and fills a range of drugs including extemporaneous preparations and narcotics while following all quality assurance procedures Supports inventory control procedures
- helps to maintain adequate drug stock
- inspects drug storage areas
- supervises pre-packing and the operation of automated dispensing equipment Complies with all USP 797 - DEA and Joint Commission guidelines when preparing and dispensing medications
- Oversees the work performed by pharmacy technicians
- Assists with Outpatient Pharmacy prescription processing
- Work Schedule: Varies depending on needs of service
- Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Functional Statement #: 60583-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
- Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
