Pharmacist - Clinical Specialist (Women's Health)

Veterans Health Administration • Aurora, CO

2d

About The Position

The Clinical Pharmacy Practitioner functions at the highest level of clinical practice, working independently under an individual scope of practice to provide direct patient care. As a member of assigned teams and an advanced practice provider, the practitioner may initiate, prescribe, modify, or discontinue medication therapy and provide intensive medication therapy management services. The role focuses on women's health and includes direct and indirect clinical care, education, drug information, and program management activities.

In direct patient care, the practitioner conducts face-to-face and telephone encounters with referred patients for comprehensive medication management. They design, implement, and monitor therapeutic drug plans, order and interpret laboratory tests and diagnostic studies, and follow up with patients about results and treatment plans. Indirect care includes reviewing medication regimens, identifying and communicating clinical concerns and alternatives to prescribers, obtaining medication histories, monitoring medication errors and adverse reactions, evaluating laboratory results, reviewing non-formulary drug requests, supporting medication-use evaluations and safety initiatives, documenting interventions in CPRS, and promoting compliance with medication policies and initiatives.

The practitioner also trains and educates pharmacy and medical center personnel, may precept pharmacy students and residents, and provides accurate drug information to medical, nursing, pharmacy, and other customers. Additional duties include serving on medical center or VISN committees and following medical center and department policies and regulations.

This is a permanent GS-13 position with a Monday–Friday schedule of 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Telework is available on an ad hoc basis under agency policy; the position is not virtual. Recruitment or relocation incentives and permanent change-of-station assistance are not authorized. The work environment includes shared, open team workspaces, moderate ambient noise, frequent interruptions and foot traffic, and both in-person and telehealth patient interactions. The role requires prolonged sitting, typing, computer screen and telephone/headset use; occasional movement around the medical center; and occasional lifting of light equipment or reference materials, generally up to 15–20 pounds.

Requirements

• Graduate from an ACPE-accredited college or school of pharmacy with a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy and/or Doctor of Pharmacy degree, or meet the stated foreign pharmacy graduate certification requirements.
• Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia; maintain registration if required for licensure.
• Be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level for GS-13.
• Demonstrate the ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
• Demonstrate expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for the program area.
• Demonstrate the ability to solve problems and coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes.
• Demonstrate expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or pharmacy specialty.
• Demonstrate advanced skill in monitoring and assessing drug therapy outcomes, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and diagnostic parameters.
• Meet federal employment conditions, including U.S. citizenship (subject to the stated non-citizen exception), required background/security review, and pre-employment requirements.
• Pass the required pre-employment physical evaluation and comply with the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Complete required application and onboarding documentation and serve the applicable one- or two-year trial period.
• Meet the role's physical and cognitive requirements, including working amid moderate noise and interruptions, maintaining confidentiality and concentration, using visual and auditory acuity for clinical tasks, and occasional movement and light lifting.

Nice To Haves

• Completed PGY2 residency in women's health.
• Extensive clinical experience in women's health, particularly for applicants without formal residency training.
• Strong clinical judgment, ability to work independently, and commitment to collaborative, patient-centered care in a multidisciplinary women's health setting.
• Board certification is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive medication management through face-to-face and telephone encounters with referred patients.
• Design, implement, and monitor therapeutic drug plans in collaboration with patients and providers.
• Order, perform, review, and analyze laboratory tests and other diagnostic studies used to monitor medication therapy.
• Follow up with patients on test results and discuss medication changes, monitoring, and further testing.
• Review medication regimens for effectiveness, drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, interactions, and therapeutic outcomes.
• Communicate medication-related findings to prescribers and recommend appropriate alternatives to treatment plans.
• Obtain medication histories and summarize significant findings in the medical record or communicate them to providers.
• Monitor and report medication errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies, and patient compliance issues.
• Evaluate laboratory values and recommend dose adjustments based on objective findings.
• Review non-formulary and restricted-drug requests for appropriateness and compliance with established criteria.
• Assist Pharmacy and Therapeutics committees with medication-use evaluations and safety initiatives.
• Document clinical interventions in CPRS in a timely and professional manner, as appropriate and per policy.
• Promote and monitor compliance with drug therapy policies and work with providers on national, VISN, and local initiatives.
• Train and in-service pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, students, residents, and other medical center personnel.
• Precept pharmacy students and residents as applicable and assist with new employee orientation.
• Provide timely, accurate drug information to medical staff, nursing staff, technicians, students, and other customers.
• Assess and document patient comprehension and refer patients to relevant multidisciplinary educational programs.
• Serve on medical center or VISN committees as requested and follow applicable policies and regulations.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and paid federal holidays.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility rules.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.
• Ad hoc telework is available under agency policy.

What This Job Offers

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