Clinical Pharmacist

Veterans Health Administration • Walla Walla, WA

19d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacist optimizes medication therapy and supports safe, effective medication use through clinical review, patient counseling, dispensing, medication reconciliation, and collaboration with prescribers and interdisciplinary care teams. The position handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, VISN, and national policies and regulations, and contributes to formulary management, medication safety, quality assurance, and pharmacy staff development.

This is a GS-11 to GS-12 position, with GS-12 identified as the full performance level. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ad-hoc telework is available; this is not a virtual position. The position may be eligible for the VA Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and program approval. The selected applicant may be required to serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Graduation from an ACPE-accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a BS in Pharmacy and/or a Pharm.D.; qualifying foreign graduates must provide FPGEC certification.
• Full, current, unrestricted pharmacist license in a U.S. State, Territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, subject to the stated temporary Graduate Pharmacist exception.
• For GS-12, either one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.
• 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 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.
• Meet applicable background/security, pre-employment physical examination, drug testing, identification, onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• For males born after December 31, 1959, Selective Service registration is required.
• Ability to meet the listed physical requirements, including light lifting and carrying under 15 pounds, reaching above shoulder, using fingers and both hands, walking, standing, repeated bending, and hearing (hearing aid may be permitted).

Responsibilities

• Optimize medication therapy using pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles and collaborate with prescribers on therapeutic decisions.
• Perform patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicate recommendations to providers verbally and in writing.
• Review medication regimens for appropriateness, duplications, interactions, contraindications, and clinical effectiveness.
• Provide medication counseling and educate patients on proper medication use.
• Complete medication histories and medication reconciliation across transitions of care.
• Provide evidence-based drug information to prescribers, interdisciplinary staff, patients, and caregivers.
• Review charts, laboratory data, and clinical indicators to monitor drug efficacy, safety, and adherence.
• Dispense medications accurately and verify medication orders for correct drug selection, dose, route, and documentation.
• Resolve medication-related problems by communicating with providers and recommending alternative therapies when appropriate.
• Support outpatient prescription processing, unit-dose activities, and complex therapies in coordination with care teams.
• Complete Prior Authorization Drug Requests (PADRs) and recommend formulary alternatives when needed.
• Participate in quality assurance, medication-use evaluation (MUE) programs, adverse drug event reporting, and medication safety initiatives.
• Manage recalls, drug shortages, and therapeutic interchange processes in accordance with policy.
• Provide oversight and guidance to pharmacy technicians; precept pharmacy trainees and contribute to staff development.
• Maintain professional competency through continuing education, literature review, and adherence to pharmacy best practices.
• Assist with formulary management, nonformulary reviews, medication usage evaluations, adverse drug event assessment, and medical emergencies.
• Document recommendations and interventions, and provide refill extensions and partial medication supplies as appropriate.

Benefits

• Potential eligibility for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), with an award of up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of 1 to 5 years, subject to program approval and eligibility requirements.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.
• Annual leave accrual credit may be available based on prior federal work or military service, if requested and approved before appointment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree