Pharmacist/ Clinical Pharmacist

Veterans Health Administration • El Paso, TX

7h • Onsite

About The Position

The clinical pharmacist is a licensed professional with knowledge and proficiency in pharmacy practice including pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics. The incumbent is responsible for analyzing real and potential drug-related medical problems and implementing corrective action to ensure that patients receive optimal drug therapy. The clinical pharmacist also applies standards relating to all aspects of distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
• Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• 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.
• 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 Internet[1]Based Test (TOEFL iBT).
• 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.
• 1 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 to both patients and health care staff.
• Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
• Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Nice To Haves

• Experience precepting pharmacy interns and pharmacy residents
• Two to Three Years Experience in Outpatient Pharmacy with High Volume of Prescriptions (above 500 prescriptions daily) or in fast paced high volume inpatient environment (>100 bed facility or critical care areas)
• Experience in quality improvement or safety projects
• Exceptional Customer Service Record
• Proficient in verbal and written communication with patients, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals

Responsibilities

• 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
• Provides patient-specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicates relevant findings and/or recommendations to other health care providers in charge of the patient both orally and in writing
• Performs continuous evaluation of prescribed medications to assure optimal drug therapy
• Provides medication counseling to patients for all new prescriptions
• Completes medication histories including patient interviews
• Serves as a drug information resource by providing up-to-date drug information to prescribers, other health care professionals, patients, and caregivers
• Review patient profile, evaluates pertinent laboratory data, drug-drug, and drug-nutrient interactions, monitors for adverse drug effects, and screens for allergies
• Performs medication reconciliation at all transitions of care, including updating the medication profile to reflect an accurate, active list of VA and non-VA medications. This may include adding non-VA medications or discontinuing duplicate medications or those the patient is not taking
• Assesses drug safety and efficacy, including evaluation of physical symptoms
• Reports adverse drug events (ADE), near misses, and medication errors in alignment with VA ADERS reporting program
• Participates in the facility medication utilization evaluation (MUE) program
• Recommends formulary alternatives and completes non-formulary consults as assigned
• Participates in emergency preparedness activities including annual Drug Cache activation exercise
• Implements P&T Committee policies including therapeutic/ generic substitutions and perform automatic conversions as appropriate
• Manages recalls and medication shortage situations by substituting alternate dosage strengths and instructions of the same medication to equal the prescribed dose and schedule
• Manages various actions, as appropriate, for medication orders to include flagging prescriptions, managing view alerts, using the "hold medication" function, and generating unsigned discontinued orders using Service Reject
• Extends refills until next scheduled appointment under the provider's name as per facility policy
• Serves as a role model and preceptor to pharmacy students and residents
• Assumes an active role in staff development of peers and provides educational in-services to nursing, medical staff or to other ancillary services
• Reviews all medication orders for appropriateness, drug selection, dosage, route of administration and the amount, prior to dispensing
• Ensures all medication orders are entered into the electronic patient medical record
• Fills all orders in a timely fashion; review of 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
• Reviews medication profiles and monitors for compliance or potential abuse; problems encountered shall be resolved
• Selects, compounds, dispenses, and fills a range of drugs including extemporaneous preparations, special formulations, ophthalmic (subconjunctival and intravitreal injections), narcotics, etc., in outpatient areas. Adequate quality assurance procedures shall be followed as applicable
• Maintains adequate drug stock, inspects drug storage areas, supervises prepacking and the operation of automated dispensing equipment
• Supervises the activities of support personnel
• Ensures drugs dispensed are completely and correctly labeled and packaged in full compliance with Federal rules and regulations

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits .
• Review our benefits
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
• Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

What This Job Offers

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