Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

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The Formulary Management Clinical Pharmacist will work collaboratively to provide clinical support to providers and teams through adjudication of prior authorization drug requests to promoting safe, cost-effective, and optimal medication use. The Formulary Management Clinical Pharmacist also assists in the educational mission of the Pharmacy Service. The incumbent will promote rational medication therapy for patients at the VA Illiana Health Care System.

Clinical Practice:

• Performs clinical reviews and adjudicates prior authorization drug requests promoting safe, cost-effective, and optimal medication use.
• Maintains advanced skill in assessing and monitoring the outcome of drug therapies including interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
• Demonstrates expert knowledge in multiple areas of clinical pharmacy practice such as oncology, hematology, rheumatology, neurology, dermatology, infectious disease, transplant, emergency medicine, among other clinical areas.
• Maintains professional competencies of information on new drugs, clinical innovations in pharmacy practice, completes continuing education, and integrates this information into his/her daily clinical practice.
• Evaluates medications for appropriateness and drug interactions, allergies and adverse reactions, and duplicate therapy.
• Provides appropriate patient counseling. Inquires about side effects and patient questions for prescriptions. Evaluates patient's ability to understand instructions. Provides verbal and written instructions to promote patient medication adherence as appropriate.
• Provides direction to other healthcare providers on formulary management questions.
• Serves as a professional advocate for advancement of pharmacy services.

Clinical Education and Scholarly Activities:

• Serves as a preceptor and shares responsibility for training, guidance and evaluation of learners including students and residents. o Assists the Residency Program Directors in the direction and coordination of the programs.
• Serve as an intern preceptor for School of Pharmacy Pharm.D. students during rotations.
• Serve as a preceptor/trainer for visiting healthcare professionals or students who want to broaden their knowledge and skills and/or establish their own clinical practice in the designated practice area.
• Assumes an active role in staff development of peers and provides educational opportunities to nursing, medical and other ancillary services. o Complete all required training on a timely basis.
• Collaborates with residents or other medical staff in research, when appropriate.
• Assists in training new employees.
• Maintains knowledge and completes continuing education in areas of expertise.
• Serves as a mentor in the development and implementation of resident research projects including research questions, methodology, application to IRB (as appropriate) and supporting resident in development of presentation and manuscript.

Administrative Support:

• Continually identifies and implements strategies to optimize the cost effective use of medications. Continually reviews economic impact and compliance with these endeavors and provides input to Pharmacy Leadership.
• Identifies target areas, formulates and develops plans for implementation, trains staff, and provides documentation to assess progress for formulary management activities.
• Conducts prospective/retrospective drug use evaluations of high-use, high cost, or high-risk drugs. Assist the Associate Pharmacy Chief of Business and Quality Management in preparation and report analysis of data, make recommendations for corrective action, and develop education programs/interventions that would alter aberrant prescribing or work patterns.
• Serves as a resource between Pharmacy Service and all health care providers regarding formulary management.
• Collaborates with other services and staff in the facility to achieve optimum interdepartmental cooperation.
• Knows and follows formulary guidelines and recommends therapeutic and cost effective alternatives to non-formulary drugs.
• Provides leadership on hospital committees when requested.
• Ensures that VA, hospital, and service policies are followed.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 08010F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You 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. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• Education: 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. Verification of approved degree programs may be obtained from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 20 North Clark Street, Suite 2500, Chicago, Illinois [redacted]; phone: [redacted], or through their Web site at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/.(NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.) (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)
  
  • -OR-
  • 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-Based Test (TOEFL iBT). (DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED)
• Licensure: 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. A pharmacist who has, or has ever had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only in accordance with the provisions in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section B, paragraph 16.

Grade Determinations:

GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist

Education or Experience: In addition to the Basic Requirements above, candidates must meet one of the following:

• 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) VA or Non VA Experience -OR-
• Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.

AND

In addition, must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs):

• 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.

Preferred Experience: PGY-1 Residency, Board Certification

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Work is performed primarily in the inpatient and outpatient pharmacy in Danville, where there is a potential for exposure to communicable diseases. Such areas are adequately heated and ventilated, and safety precautions are required. In some cases, dealing with anti-neoplastic drugs may expose the incumbent to hazardous and toxic agents. The incumbent works with drugs/chemicals and must exercise precautions to avoid accidental contact to the skin, eyes, and lungs.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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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 rew