The Licensed Pharmacist will be involved in the independent professional practice of pharmacy in accordance with the guidance set forth in FHCC policies and procedures, VA regulations, and state and federal laws governing the practice of pharmacy. The licensed pharmacist will be under the administrative supervision of the Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor. 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. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/03/2023. 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. Language: Must be proficient in spoken and written English 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. 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. GS-12 GRADE EXPERIENCE Experience. In addition to the GS-11 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Preferred Experience: In addition to basic Qualification Standard: Pharmacy IV room operations preferred with an understanding of goals, objectives and performance measures associated with Inpatient Pharmacy Operation. Assignment. . A pharmacist in this assignment handles routine medication-related activities in accordance with local, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and national policies and regulations. These include, but are not limited to: reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making VA HANDBOOK 5005/55 JUNE 7, 2012 PART II APPENDIX G15 II-G15-4 recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacting providers as appropriate; documenting recommendations and interventions; providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies; taking health and medication histories; performing medication reconciliation; providing drug information; assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations; documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs); assisting in medical emergencies; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs): 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. References: VA Handbook, 5005, Part II, Appendix G15, Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard Physical Requirements: Employees are typically expected to work forty hours per week. This may include evenings and weekends functioning as a CPS. Principle duties require repetitive use of hands and fingers (e.g., handling prescriptions, use of a computer keyboard, etc.). May require lifting and carrying light loads (up to 25lbs.), including boxes, packages, and equipment, stooping or kneeling (e.g., to pick up items from the floor, remove and replace items on lower shelves, and to file documents in lower file drawers, etc.); sitting, walking, or standing for long periods of time (4-8 hours). Normal ranges of hearing and vision are required to perform work and communicate effectively; must have the visual ability to distinguish between basic colors and shades of color. An ability to perform tasks requiring rapid mental and muscular coordination functions simultaneously is necessary. Employees must be physically capable of operating various types of equipment used on the job. Employees may be asked to work voluntary overtime within different pharmacy locations during periods of extreme staffing shortages. If there are no volunteers, reverse seniority will be utilized to work mandatory overtime within their respective clinical areas or as coverage for fellow pharmacy specialists. ["1. Clinical A. Drug Therapy Monitoring includes the following:-The therapeutic appropriateness of the patient's drug regimen,-Therapeutic duplication in the patient's drug regimen.-The appropriateness of route and method of administration.-The degree of patient compliance with the drug regimen.-Drug-drug, drug-food, drug-laboratory, or drug-disease interactions.-Clinical and pharmacokinetic laboratory data to evaluate the efficacy of drug therapy to anticipate side effects, toxicity, or adverse effects.-Physical signs and clinical symptoms relevant to the patient's drug therapy. B. Monitoring, detecting, documenting, reporting, and managing of adverse drug events. C. Participation in drug use evaluations and other quality assurance activities. 2. Distributive: The clinical pharmacist is responsible for preparing, dispensing, and distributing a wide variety of pharmaceutical preparations safely, appropriately, and accurately in all medication management systems dependent upon their assigned area, i.e., unit dose, IV admixture, chemotherapy, investigational drugs, ward stock, automatic replenishment, controlled substance vault, surgical and ambulatory care. Within each system, the clinical pharmacist will ensure compliance with regulatory policies regarding medication labeling, inventory management, formulary management, equipment management, and timeliness of service. The clinical pharmacist provides supervision to pharmacy support staff in the distributive function. Ambulatory care prescriptions, compounded sterile products, unit dose drugs, and other orders prepared by pharmacy technicians will be checked for accuracy by a pharmacist in their assigned area prior to distribution or dispensing. 3. Education: A. Patient Education -The clinical pharmacist shares a mutual responsibility with other health care practitioners for providing drug-related patient education and counseling. Using suitable oral, written, or audiovisual communication techniques and methods, the pharmacist will inform, educate, and counsel patients about their drug therapy in order to maximize proper use of medications and therefore improve therapeutic outcomes. B. FHCC Staff Education - The clinical pharmacist is responsible for providing the FHCC staff with accurate, comprehensive information about drugs and their use and shall serve as the FHCC primary resource for meeting its drug information responsibilities. 4. Administrative/Supervisory: A. Program: The clinical pharmacist is responsible for the daily operational status of the various aspects of pharmacy programs. The clinical pharmacist is responsible for keeping his/her supervisor and/or other pharmacy staff members informed of administrative problems or episodes of clinical pertinence which may impact on pharmacy program effectiveness or which may enhance staff performance. The clinical pharmacist will be required to make responsible administrative decisions in the absence of a supervisor or in instances when immediate decisions are required. The clinical pharmacist is responsible for having a working knowledge of the basic operational procedures involving the automated equipment in all sections. Clinical pharmacists will be assigned various administrative projects and will be required to complete tasks timely, accurately, and effectively by working within the organizational structure of the Pharmacy. The clinical pharmacist must be able to follow and enforce the principles of the FHCC formulary system. Pharmacy policies and procedures, VA/DoD regulations, and State and Federal pharmacy laws will serve as operational guidance. B. Personnel - The clinical pharmacist is responsible for the operational supervision of the pharmacy technician staff and other supportive pharmacy personnel in the daily performance of the distributive functions within the service. During the absence of a supervisory pharmacist, the clinical pharmacist will act as the pharmacist-in-charge in the performance of these duties. VISN 12 is committed to fostering and sustaining an environment which celebrates diversity, provides equitable opportunities for employment and promotion, and supports inclusiveness in our culture. Together, we strive to create and maintain working and learning environments that promote professional growth and teamwork, and are inclusive, equitable and welcoming. We embrace our differences as individuals and unite as a team toward a common goal: to serve our nation's Veterans. Work Schedule: Rotating Shifts including weekends and holidays Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Licensed Pharmacist/PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
