Clinical Pharmacist (Outpatient)

Veterans Health Administration • San Antonio, TX

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacist provides comprehensive pharmaceutical care to Veterans in an outpatient setting. The role reviews, verifies, prepares, and dispenses medications; evaluates drug therapies for safety and effectiveness; monitors interactions and adverse reactions; and resolves medication-related concerns. The pharmacist collaborates with healthcare providers, counsels patients, supports formulary management, maintains controlled-substance accountability, oversees pharmacy technicians, and ensures compliance with applicable policies and regulations.

At GS-11, the pharmacist screens, evaluates, enters, and verifies medication orders; prepares and dispenses medications; coordinates pharmacy workflows and inventories; addresses medication-safety concerns; oversees pharmacy technicians; and assists with quality assurance, training, student precepting, reporting, and administrative work under supervisory guidance. At GS-12, the pharmacist independently manages medication reviews and therapeutic monitoring, oversees prescription processing and dispensing, provides patient education and counseling, supports formulary and medication-use initiatives, manages controlled-substance accountability, and contributes to staff education, safety reporting, and quality improvement.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, either 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and/or 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Ad hoc telework may be available under agency policy; this is not a virtual position. The full-performance level is GS-12, and selection may be at GS-11 or GS-12.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen, subject to the stated exception under VA policy for non-citizens.
• Graduate from an ACPE-accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); foreign graduates must provide FPGEC certification, including the required examinations.
• Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, subject to the stated temporary appointment exception for entry-level graduate pharmacists. GS-12 candidates must be licensed.
• Maintain proficiency in spoken and written English.
• For GS-12, meet one of the following in addition to the basic requirements: one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.
• For GS-12, demonstrate knowledge of professional pharmacy practice; oral and written communication with patients and healthcare staff; laws, regulations, and accreditation standards governing drug distribution, controlled and non-controlled drugs, and pharmacy security; and monitoring and assessment of drug-therapy outcomes, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and diagnostic parameters.
• Meet applicable background/security investigation, pre-employment screening, onboarding, and identification requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.

Nice To Haves

• Two years of professional pharmacy practice experience, preferably in an outpatient setting.
• Experience receiving, interpreting, entering, and dispensing written or electronic orders from healthcare providers using accepted pharmacy practice standards.
• Ability to evaluate prescriber orders for appropriateness of therapy, incompatibilities, side effects, and drug or drug-product interactions.
• Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
• Skill in monitoring and assessing drug-therapy outcomes, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
• Two years of knowledge or experience with outpatient pharmacy dispensing machines, preferably Optifill.

Responsibilities

• Screen, evaluate, enter, interpret, and verify medication orders for accuracy, appropriate drug selection and dosing, interactions, allergies, contraindications, and formulary compliance.
• Prepare, package, label, and dispense medications accurately and in a timely manner.
• Coordinate prescription-processing and dispensing workflows, maintain medication inventories, and support efficient pharmacy operations.
• Evaluate medication regimens, laboratory results, drug interactions, adverse effects, and patient-specific factors to identify and resolve medication-related problems.
• Promote safe and cost-effective drug therapy and consult with healthcare providers as needed.
• Provide medication education, reconcile medication histories, address patient concerns, and collaborate with healthcare providers to optimize treatment outcomes.
• Evaluate nonformulary requests, recommend therapeutic alternatives, implement approved substitutions, and support medication-utilization initiatives.
• Manage controlled-substance inventories, reconcile discrepancies, maintain required documentation, and ensure compliance with DEA and VA regulations.
• Provide technical oversight of pharmacy technicians and ensure compliance with established procedures.
• Participate in medication-safety initiatives, drug-utilization evaluations, quality assurance, and quality-improvement activities.
• Support staff education and training, student precepting, operational reporting, and administrative responsibilities.
• Monitor medication safety and report adverse drug events.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to prior request and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level