Summary

The Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital is seeking a highly motivated and clinically skilled Inpatient Clinical Pharmacist to join our Pharmacy Service. The pharmacist will provide comprehensive, evidence-based medication management for Veterans across multiple inpatient care areas. We are committed to delivering safe, high-quality pharmaceutical care in a collaborative, patient-centered environment.

Duties

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VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

Duties include, but are not limited to:

The Inpatient Clinical Pharmacist provides direct pharmaceutical care for patients in inpatient wards, CLC, ER, OR, GI Lab, Cardiac Cath Lab, PACT Clinics, Specialty Clinics, and CBOCs.

Responsibilities include:

• Reviewing and verifying medication orders for accuracy, safety, and clinical appropriateness.
• Applying evidence-based practice to support optimal therapeutic decisions.
• Preparing and dispensing sterile and non-sterile compounds, hazardous medications, and controlled substances in accordance with USP 797, USP 800, and VA policies.- Monitoring and adjusting drug therapy for anticoagulation, vancomycin, aminoglycosides, and medications requiring specialized dosing.
• Ensuring adherence to VA formulary and P&T Committee guidance, including therapeutic interchanges.
• Providing medication information to providers, nurses, and patients in a timely and accurate manner.
• Dispensing outpatient prescriptions during after-hours coverage.

Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation.

Work Schedule: Evenings, 7 days on, 7 days off. Friday-Sunday: 8:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.- Monday-Thursday: 10:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m. - Holiday coverage (8:00 a.m.-8:30 p.m.) is provided by the pharmacist on duty that week.

Compressed/Flexible: Yes

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #:

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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.
• 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 website at: http://www.acpe-accredit.org/. (NOTE: Prior to 2005, ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree programs. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.)
  
  • Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the 2 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).
• 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.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: GS 11 Experience, Education, and Licensure

None beyond the basic requirements. Pharmacists at this grade level serve in a developmental capacity.

Grade Determinations: GS-12 Experience or Education

One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.

AND

1. Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
2. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.
3. Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
4. Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience:

- Minimum three years of inpatient pharmacy practice with demonstrated competency in sterile and non-sterile compounding, hazardous drug handling, antimicrobial stewardship, and pharmacokinetic monitoring.

-Proficiency in managing high-risk medication therapies, including anticoagulation and vancomycin, with strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary teams.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is 12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 11 to 12.

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.

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 rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn 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.