Duties

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The GS 12 Clinical Pharmacist primary functions will be the interpretation of provider's orders, dispensing of appropriate medications in the inpatient and outpatient setting, and counseling patients on proper medication administration and storage. The incumbent serves as Pharmacy consultant to various personnel in all aspects of Pharmacy, in a highly complex and diversified hospital.

Dispensing Functions Performed in All Areas:

• Receives, reviews, and interprets prescriptions and medication orders for appropriateness, correct dosage, completeness, drug interactions, drug availability and patient eligibility. Applies working knowledge of correct dosing, toxicity, therapeutic action, contraindications, and adverse effects.
• Checks and/or prepares prepackaged medications, for accuracy of the product and the records kept.
• Reviews and records pharmacy stock needs using knowledge of usage trends.
• Operates specialized equipment used in drug preparation and dispensing.
• Compounds and dispenses medications, weighing, measuring, or mixing ingredients as required, using appropriate techniques.
• Provides medication to traveling veterans as outlined in local and national policy.
• Provides authoritative, professional guidance on pharmaceutical problems of difficult, complex, and unusual nature.
• Provides clinical feedback quarterly to fellow Pharmacists through the Clinical Pertinence Review process as assigned by the Clinical Pharmacy Manager or designee.

Provides the following clinical functions/activities:

• Completing Allergy/ Adverse Reaction Consults in CPRS and VADERS
• Checking chemotherapy orders and sterile preparations
• Documenting clinical interventions through the CPRS encounter package
• Completing complementary and herbal medication consults
• Performs monitoring services for heparin and other intravenous anticoagulants
• Performs Community Living Center chart reviews
• Performs inpatient dosing services for Warfarin and other oral anticoagulants (as appropriate)
• Completes non-formulary and restricted medications consults
• Performs renal function assessments
• Performs dosage adjustments and monitoring for chronic renal replacement therapy
• Provides pharmacokinetic dosing for all inpatients (as appropriate)
• Complete Therapeutic Libation Consults.

Clinical:

• Prepares in-depth presentations pertaining to drugs and drug therapy for Pharmacy staff, patients, providers, nurses, and other health care professionals.
• Critically performs medication reconciliation to ascertain if current medications are necessary, cost effective, prescribed at the appropriate dose, and are having the desired effect. Recommends change in therapy to prescribing provider when appropriate.
• Counsels patients on drug use, interactions, adverse effects, availability, and pharmacy procedure.
• Provides drug information, using reference materials, to providers, nurses, other health care professionals, and patients.
• Contacts providers and other health care providers as necessary to resolve problems related to outpatient prescriptions and inpatient medication orders.
• Provides authoritative, professional guidance on pharmaceutical problems of difficult, complex, and unusual nature.
• Provides clinical feedback quarterly to fellow Pharmacists through the Clinical Pertinence Review process as assigned by the Clinical Pharmacy Manager or designee.
• Performs other clinical Duties as assigned in all Pharmacy Areas

Work Schedule: Full Time Second Shift 3:30pm - 12:00am with rotating weekends and Holidays. **Please note that Training for this Position will be first shift 7:30 am - 4:00 pm for approx. 3 Months**

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

Telework: Not available.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 08426F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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;
• 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 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.)

-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).

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).

In addition to the Basic Requirements above, applicants must meet the following grade requirements:

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.

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 in a GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Work is performed primarily in the inpatient and outpatient pharmacy in Milwaukee, WI, where there is a potential for exposure to communicable diseases. Such areas are adequately heated and ventilated, and safety precautions are required. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of interview.

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 rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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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.