Clinical Pharmacist

Veterans Health Administration • Wilkes Barre, PA

13d • Onsite

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacist is a licensed professional responsible for safe and appropriate medication use and for advocating rational drug therapy. The role involves evaluating medication therapy based on patient-specific factors, individualizing treatment, dispensing medications, and providing drug information. The pharmacist analyzes actual and potential drug-related problems, implements corrective actions, and applies standards for the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs.

The pharmacist provides patient-specific drug therapy selection and monitoring, assesses efficacy, adverse effects, and clinical outcomes, and communicates relevant findings and recommendations to prescribers and other care providers. Responsibilities also include medication order review and entry, dispensing a range of medications and formulations in inpatient and outpatient settings, maintaining stock and quality assurance, overseeing inpatient workflow and technicians, and using pharmacy automation systems.

The position includes educating health care providers and participating in pharmacy training for students, interns, residents, and staff. The incumbent is expected to keep current with pharmacy practice and drug therapy developments and to follow VA environmental policies, including safe handling and disposal of chemicals and high-risk medications, pollution prevention, waste minimization, resource conservation, and continual improvement of environmental programs.

The schedule is 40 hours per week, consisting of eight-hour days, five days per week, with rotating tours between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Compressed or flexible scheduling, telework, and virtual work are not available. The position is not authorized for relocation or recruitment incentives; EDRP may be available to eligible applicants, subject to program review and approval.

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.
• A baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) and/or Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) from an ACPE-accredited college or school of pharmacy; alternatively, foreign pharmacy graduates must provide FPGEC certification, including the required FPGEE and TOEFL iBT.
• A full, current, and unrestricted pharmacist license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia for GS-12; maintain current registration if required for licensure.
• For GS-12, completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program or one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• For the specialized-experience pathway, demonstrate professional pharmacy practice knowledge; oral and written communication with patients and health care staff; knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards for drug distribution, controlled and non-controlled drugs, and pharmacy security; and skill in monitoring and assessing drug therapy outcomes, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and diagnostic parameters.
• Provide a resume documenting qualifying experience, including month and year and hours worked per week for each job.
• Submit a transcript showing the date the degree was conferred; foreign education used to qualify requires a foreign equivalency certificate with the transcript.
• Meet pre-employment conditions, including applicable urinalysis, background/security investigation, onboarding, acceptable identification, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Be able to perform physical exertion including reaching, bending, standing, walking, and climbing, and occasionally lift 10–20 pounds.
• Use protective clothing or gear when required, such as masks, gowns, goggles, gloves, or shields.

Responsibilities

• Select appropriate drug therapy based on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles, monitor efficacy, side effects, and clinical outcomes, and advise prescribers.
• Conduct patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicate relevant findings and recommendations orally and in writing to the patient's health care team.
• Prospectively review medication regimens for therapeutic appropriateness, duplication, route and method of administration, patient compliance, drug interactions, relevant laboratory data, and clinical signs and symptoms.
• Review medication orders for appropriateness, drug selection, dosage, route, and quantity before dispensing.
• Enter medication orders into the electronic patient medical record and fill orders in a timely manner.
• Review allergy history and assess drug-drug, drug-nutrient, drug-laboratory, and drug-disease interactions for clinical relevance.
• Review medication profiles and monitor for compliance or potential abuse; resolve problems encountered.
• Select, compound, dispense, and fill medications and special preparations, including ophthalmics, controlled substances, and oncological agents, in inpatient and outpatient areas.
• Follow applicable quality assurance procedures; maintain drug stock, inspect storage areas, supervise prepacking, and operate automated dispensing equipment.
• Manage inpatient workflow, oversee technicians, and guide work prioritization to support timely patient care.
• Use and optimize pharmacy automation systems, including Omnicell, Controlled Substance Manager, Carousel, and pill packagers.
• Educate health care providers regarding medication use.
• Participate in pharmacy training for students, externs, interns, residents, and professional and nonprofessional staff; provide on-the-job training and guidance.
• Maintain knowledge of pharmacy practice and drug therapy through professional and medical literature and continuing education.
• Follow VA GEMS and health care system environmental policies, including recycling and the safe use and disposal of chemical products and high-risk medications.
• Comply with environmental laws and requirements, prevent pollution, minimize waste, conserve cultural and natural resources, and support continual improvement of environmental programs.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), potentially providing up to $200,000 in student loan reimbursement for eligible applicants, subject to approval and program terms.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position eligibility.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior federal work or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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