Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist-Patient Safety)

Veterans Health Administration • Dallas, TX

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Patient Safety Clinical Specialist (PharmD) is a clinical pharmacy practitioner and analytical expert responsible for the ongoing development, operation, and continuous improvement of the VANTHCS Patient Safety Program, derived from the VA National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) Patient Safety Handbook. The Patient Safety Clinical Specialist (PharmD) provides organizational support across the continuum of care and may provide coverage for other Patient Safety Specialists as needed.

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.
• 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.
• 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 (GS-12) for GS-13.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
• Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
• Ability to solve problems, coordinate and responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
• Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
• Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Nice To Haves

• CPRS/Essentris and other EHR systems
• Policy review experience
• PI Quality Improvement Project (unit level or higher exp.)
• VA Committee Experience (Quality/Patient Safety related)
• Patient Safety Experience
• Survey Readiness and familiar with Accreditation Survey Activities

Responsibilities

• Provides organizational support across the continuum of care and may provide coverage for other Patient Safety Specialists as needed.
• Supports and guides other Patient Safety Specialists, offering expertise, coaching, and guidance on patient safety priorities, methodologies, and data-driven practices.
• Works alongside the PSM lead nurse position to serve as the backup for the PSM.
• Leads interdisciplinary teams toward systems-level improvements; provides education and training across all disciplines.
• Conducts comprehensive clinical and health-record reviews; performs quantitative and qualitative data analysis.
• Prepares and interprets patient-safety reports; identifies trends; conducts safety event investigations; and develops corrective and preventive action plans.
• Builds spreadsheets, tables, graphs, and dashboards to support data-driven decision-making.
• Provides leadership support, coordination with daily operations of the Patient Safety program, and serves as a resource to all Patient Safety Specialists.
• Serves as a clinical and informatics resource to frontline staff and leadership in collaboration with the PSM lead nurse.
• Applies pharmacy-specific expertise in medication processes, adverse drug event (ADE) analysis, medication systems redesign, and safe medication-use practices.
• Influences care outcomes by supporting education, leading improvement initiatives, facilitating RCA and HFMEA processes, and ensuring timely follow-up for patient-safety events.
• Maintains expert knowledge of accreditation and regulatory standards, NCPS requirements, VA Directives, SOPs, medication safety literature, automated dispensing technologies, and pharmacy information systems.
• Collaborates with healthcare professionals to strengthen safe clinical processes using patient-safety science, Lean systems redesign, quality-improvement methodology, and advanced analytics.
• Helps foster a High Reliability Organization (HRO) culture and supports all facility staff in delivering safe, high-quality care for Veterans.
• Advises the Patient Safety Manager on patient safety incidents, emerging risks, medication-safety trends, regulatory needs, and improvement opportunities, ensuring alignment with organizational mission and strategic goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

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.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

What This Job Offers

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