Clinical Pharmacist

Veterans Health Administration • Tuskegee, AL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacist provides pharmaceutical services to outpatient Veterans and supports both outpatient and inpatient medication preparation and dispensing. The role includes reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication and supply orders; processing and filling orders accurately and promptly; and providing safe, effective medication therapy in accordance with applicable policies and regulations.

The pharmacist provides patient-specific drug therapy monitoring, counseling, medication reconciliation, drug information, pharmacokinetic consultation, and recommendations to providers and other health care professionals. The role also involves medication safety and efficacy assessment, reporting adverse drug events and errors, formulary management, and oversight of medication distribution and support personnel.

This position is at the GS-11 to GS-12 level, with GS-12 identified as the full performance level. The work schedule varies between shifts from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., including weekends and holidays, and hours may vary with service needs. Telework and virtual work are not available. The position may be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program eligibility and approval; awards may be up to $200,000, for a period of one to five years. Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply for the incentive.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• A baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree from an ACPE-accredited college or school of pharmacy, or qualifying foreign pharmacy education with FPGEC certification, including passing the FPGEE and TOEFL iBT.
• Full, current, and unrestricted pharmacist license in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, except that an eligible entry-level Graduate Pharmacist may receive a temporary appointment under the stated conditions.
• For GS-12: one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. No experience beyond the basic requirements is specified for GS-11.
• Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing with patients and health care staff.
• Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards concerning 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.
• Subject to background and security investigation, pre-employment drug screening for testing-designated positions, pre-employment physical examination, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Complete the required online onboarding and application documentation; provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, during which continued employment is evaluated.
• Comply with Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.

Responsibilities

• Review, interpret, and verify medication and supply orders for appropriateness, drug selection, dosage, and quantity.
• Process, prepare, dispense, compound, and fill medications accurately and promptly for outpatient and inpatient services, including unit-dose, sterile, ophthalmic, narcotic, investigational, and oncolytic medications.
• Select appropriate drug therapy based on pharmaceutical principles.
• Provide patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicate findings or recommendations to health care providers.
• Counsel patients on medications and provide current drug information to prescribers, health care professionals, patients, and caregivers.
• Perform medication reconciliation at transitions of care and take health and medication histories as appropriate.
• Assess drug safety and efficacy, report adverse drug events and medication errors, and document interventions.
• Recommend formulary alternatives and complete non-formulary consults as assigned; assist with formulary management and medication usage evaluations.
• Provide pharmacokinetic consultation and assist in medical emergencies.
• Manage medication recalls, shortage substitutions, view alerts, hold-medication functions, refill extensions, and partial medication supplies as appropriate.
• Enter medication orders into the patient's electronic health record and review allergies, drug-drug interactions, drug-nutrient interactions, laboratory results, and other relevant medical information.
• Review medication profiles and monitor compliance or potential abuse.
• Maintain adequate drug stock and inspect drug storage areas.
• Supervise technical and support personnel and ensure proper labeling of dispensed medications.
• Participate in training for students, residents, technicians, and pharmacists; conduct on-the-job training on pharmacy processes and procedures.
• Maintain knowledge of pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics, and participate in staff development.
• Participate in research activities in accordance with FDA guidelines and coordinate receipt and distribution of investigational or clinical-evaluation drugs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with an award of up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.

What This Job Offers

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