Pharmacist (Clinical Specialist) - Ticket Solutions

Summary

The Clinical Pharmacist (Ticket Solutions) will serve as the subject matter expert on electronic health record (EHR) issues, workflows and mitigations with the Sioux Falls VA Healthcare System. Incumbent will receive and triage reports of EHR issues, ensure issues are routed appropriately for resolution, provide troubleshooting and validation support and communicate on resolution outcomes. Incumbent will work collaboratively with the facility, VISN, national and EHR vendor points of contact.

Duties

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NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

Significant duties include, but are not limited to the following.

A. Informatics

1) Responsible for the professional, administrative and technical management of the Department's Automated Data processing (ADP), Internal Control and Medical Information System (MIS) programs.

2) The incumbent is responsible for coordination, development and implementation of all pertinent information applications to support clinical practice, administration, educational development, research initiatives and the computerized medical record in the Pharmacy Department.

3) Will serve as a subject matter expert on pharmacy processing applications and the ability to place and manage all work orders/tickets associated with the electronic health record. The incumbent will serve as a unique subject matter expert on joint federal pharmacy systems operations at a local, VISN and national level.

4) Complete manual and automated data collections from pharmacy and automation systems. Provides analysis of systems data to pharmacy administrators and maintains data integrity of pharmacy systems via quality assurance analysis.

B. Ticket Solutions

1) The specialist is responsible for keeping the Associate Chief, Pharmacy Operations and Chief of Pharmacy, and section supervisors informed of all administrative or technical issues that may impact Pharmacy programs. Specialist may also be asked to report to the EHR/CPRS Committee, Chief Medical Office, Patient Services Directorate leaders, hospital administrators and national VA/DoD Pharmacy Informatics group.

2) Manages all tickets placed for the electronic health record and will track and trace these tickets through to completion.

3) Incumbent will be able to provide updates on electronic health records at any requested time.

4) Incumbent will build relationships to communicate and track tickets. Ticket scope will include those directly under the pharmacy domain as well as domains related to medication safety and medication ordering with downstream impact to pharmacy (ie,. Infusions).

C. Administrative Program Services

1) The incumbent is responsible for the revision of all department level policies and procedures related to automated data processing.

2) The specialist assists manages, develops and maintains plans for downtime pharmacy operations for both VA/DoD and joint pharmacy systems during CHCS/VISTA/Cerner or network system outages. Provides training documents for staff and supervisors on the operation and procedures for system downtimes.

3) May serve on or act as a resource for professional committees. Incumbent works closely with other pharmacy staff to ensure integration of services and optimum patient care.

4) Participates in various facility, VISN, and national Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiatives, including, but not limited to, medication usages and cost effective initiatives.

D. Pharmacist Duties

1) Will provide routine patient care in clinical settings as directed.

2) Participates as necessary in a range of staff pharmacy duties, including order verification and completion, medication preparation and dispensing in inpatient and outpatient settings.

3) Interacts with treatment team members to optimize drug treatment; develops and assesses target outcomes. Communicates effectively in meetings, in personal conversations, and in written progress notes or consultations.

4) May serve as an independent anticoagulation provider in the anticoagulation clinic as needed/scheduled. A scope of practice would be required to perform this duty.

E. Education

1) Collaborates with Pharmacy management and Patient Safety on pharmacy-related training and development, to promote the learning experience and improve the performance of providers, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy residents, medical residents and students.

2) Participates in the development and implementation of formal and informal drug education/clinical consultation to medical, surgical, nursing, and pharmacy staff in the form of in-services and continuing education programs.

3) Interfaces with other health-care providers and administrators to ensure compliance with established pharmacy policies and procedures.

4) Effectively communicates both orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues.

F. Research

The CPP may be involved in designing and conducting research studies or assist in the same. Proposals for research must be submitted to the IRB and Research and Development Committee.

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

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000

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

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. NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.
• 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. Exception: Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. a7 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist.
• Foreign Education: 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).
• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 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:

GS-13 Clinical Pharmacist

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

AND

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.

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-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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.