Summary

The Pharmacy Informaticist shares responsibility for all computer and automation activities within the Pharmacy Service of this multi-specialty facility. The facility has diverse teaching, research, medicine, and transplant hospital and an extensive, multisite Ambulatory Clinic Program. The Pharmacy Informaticist serves as the pharmacy liaison to other services within the facility and to the VISN for computer and automation programs.

Duties

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Duties include but are not limited to:

Clinical Practice

The Pharmacy Informaticist supports the framework, philosophy and environment for effective pharmacy staff participation in the following clinical activities:

-Evaluates orders for appropriateness and drug interactions, allergies, and adverse reactions.

-Intervenes with physicians and other staff members for rational, safe, and effective drug therapy and documents interventions.

-Knows and follows formulary guidelines and ensures therapeutic and cost-effective alternatives to non-formulary drugs.

-Monitors drug therapy and provides information to other health professionals.

-Accountable for medication reconciliation according to procedure.

-Provides age-appropriate care to adult and/or geriatric patients.

-Provides appropriate patient consultation for all new prescriptions. Inquiries about side effects and patient questions for refill prescriptions. Evaluates patient's ability to understand instructions. Provides oral and written instructions to promote patient medication adherence.

-Performs drug specific pharmacokinetics.

-Manages anticoagulation therapy.

-Renews and orders medications per Scope of Practice with biannual peer review.

-Critically reviews non-formulary drug requests for appropriateness, safety, and cost effectiveness and may approve according to criteria for use.

-Conducts prospective/retrospective drug use evaluations of high-use, high cost, or high risk drugs as requested.

-Converts patients to appropriate medications where indicated. Changes the patient's drug therapy, order laboratory tests, and perform the necessary follow-up to ensure medication Conversions are safe and effective.

-Assists with manufacturer medication backorders and recalls including communication with providers and recommendations for alternatives.

-Oversight of drug events for inpatient in order to initiate process and quality improvement.

Administrative

-Has technical, professional, and administrative responsibility for planning, developing, coordinating, directing, and evaluating integrated pharmacy informatics programs.

-Serves as the Pharmacy Informaticist and is responsible for the implementation and ongoing operation of all pharmacy application packages for the Programs and all new programs as developed.

-Monitors operations to ensure that all local and national VA, federal, and regulatory policies are followed.

-Ensures that all procurement requisitions related to the informatics programs are properly prepared, submitted on schedule, and that adequate stocks are maintained, and monitored.

-Develops requests for new equipment, construction projects, and staffing needs to submit to upper management.

-Ensure proper maintenance of equipment, furniture and accessories. Maintains smooth functioning of complex automation.

-Coordinates staff resources in collaboration with Pharmacy Supervisors and Lead Technicians.

-Develops and maintains a cooperative working relationship with other departments such that the overall activities and scope of pharmacy services rendered are carried out efficiently.

-Actively participates in committees, process action teams, key function teams, etc.

Education

-Ensure staff involvement and communication for development and implementation of informatics policies and procedures.

-Develops and implements training programs for software and equipment for pharmacy staff and other health care providers as needed.

-Facilitates patient and staff medication training/education programs including but not limited to the training/education required for the informatics programs.

-The incumbent is responsible for maintaining professional competency by keeping up with information on new drugs, new drug therapies, innovations in pharmacy practice, and integrating this information into their daily practice.

-Assists in training residents and students when they are assigned.

-Trains new pharmacists and oversees training of new technicians.

Research

-Collaborates with the Research/Investigational Drug Services Pharmacist on any service line related drugs studies by performing required investigational drug handling, verification, and accountability in line with local policies, procedures, and study training materials.

-Actively participates in pharmacy-led research projects either by acting as a Principal Investigator, a co-investigator, preceptor, or consultant and participate in the design, submission, process development, and conduct of research project.

-Incumbent may serve as a primary research preceptor for pharmacy residents and students.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 07:30am to 4:00pm

Telework: Ad-hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 06292F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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

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:

Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (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 (PharmD) 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.)

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 Certification, which includes passing the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination and the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test.

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 maybe appointed only in accordance with the provisions in VA Policy.

NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. a7 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.

Physical Requirements. Must successfully complete all Pre-Placement Physical requirements in accordance with VA regulations and policy. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 USC 7402(d) and 38 USC 7407(d).

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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist

a. Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs:

a. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.

b. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.

c. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.

d. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.

e. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

References: VA Handbook 5005/55 APPENDIX G15. LICENSED PHARMACIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-660

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: The work involves prolonged periods of standing with some walking of generally short distances. There may be occasional lifting of weights up to 30 lbs. There may be mental fatigue due to repetitive screening and interpretation of medication orders. Applicants must be able to distinguish basic colors.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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

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.