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Summary The primary responsibility of the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (Primary Care) is the provision of evidence-based pharmaceutical care services through both direct and indirect interaction with patients and providers, routinely functioning with minimal supervision as an independent practitioner operating under a scope of practice. Responsibilities VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn\_ickNBEws GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The primary responsibility of the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (Primary Care) is the provision of evidence-based pharmaceutical care services through both direct and indirect interaction with patients and providers, routinely functioning with minimal supervision as an independent practitioner operating under a scope of practice. This pharmacist promotes and manages drug therapy based on current clinical knowledge that is consistent with policies established at the national, VISN and local levels. This pharmacist must utilize clinical expertise, critical thinking and professional judgment to solve complex problems and to provide care to Veterans as well as clinical information and recommendations to providers. This pharmacist functions as part of the Pharmacy Team to accomplish department missions and goals. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm or per supervisor discretion. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F04240 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized. Requirements 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. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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 dentification 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). 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. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) Education: (1) 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 60602-5109; phone: (312) 664-3575, 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.)(2) 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). Grade Determinations: GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (Primary Care) Experience and Education: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet the following: 1 year of experience at or equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS12) and Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. Functions include but are not limited to: Clinical: Using advanced knowledge of pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics, the CPS serves as an authority on pharmaceutical care in specialized and routine areas of clinical pharmacy practice for Ambulatory Care/PACT clinical staff and pharmacy staff. The CPS serves as drug information resource, answering inquiries regarding therapeutics, drug interactions, dosing, side effects, formulary options, etc. The CPS is responsible for the evaluation, monitoring and medication management of Veterans referred by consult to the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for chronic disease state management. This will involve the design of a therapeutic regimen or plan, based on patient-specific information, which includes establishing a therapeutic endpoint, selecting an appropriate drug(s) and related therapy and establishing an appropriate dosage regimen. This includes the initiation and prescribing of appropriate pharmacotherapy and laboratory monitoring related to national guideline-based treatment of diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking cessation, hypertension and other chronic disease state medication management as requested by VA Primary Care/SAC Providers and as included in the CPS Scope of Practice. If assigned to the Anticoagulation Clinic, the CPS is responsible for the evaluation, monitoring and management of anticoagulation for Veterans referred by consult. This includes warfarin or DOAC initiation, dose adjustment, determination of frequency of laboratory follow-up and management of "bridging" with low molecular weight heparins when indicated, patient education and compliance with all components of the Anticoagulation Management Program. The CPS obtains medication histories from patients and performs medication reconciliation at all transitions of care, including updating the medication profile to reflect an accurate, active list of VA and non-VA medications. This may include adding non-VA medications or discontinuing duplicate medications or those the Veteran is not taking. Significant findings are summarized and documented in the medical record and communicated to the provider as appropriate. The CPS is actively involved in reviewing patient medication regimens for drug selection, dosing, contraindications, side effects, potential drug interactions, cost-effectiveness and therapeutic outcomes as appropriate. Findings and recommendations for alternatives to current treatment plan will be communicated to the providers as appropriate. The CPS will utilize Population Health tools along with review of medical records to collaborate with PACT teams to improve outcomes for Veterans. The CPS will monitor for and report medication errors, adverse drug reactions, allergies and patient compliance/adherence issues, documenting findings per facility procedures. When assessing or providing patient care the CPS will consider the age, literacy level and learning barriers (e.g. low vision, hard of hearing, dementia, etc.) of the patient as it relates to ability to understand and follow directions, provide objective self-assessment or any other pertinent factors which may affect the Veteran's overall treatment plan. The CPS reviews electronically-submitted non-formulary drug requests (NDR) and PA-F requests utilizing National VA PBM Criteria for Use when available, completing review and documenting adjudication in CPRS in a timely manner as determined by VISN and National PBM leadership. The CPS participates in pharmacy service and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee quality assurance/performance improvement activities, including MUE projects. The CPS serves on medical center and/or VISN committees as assigned. Administrative: The CPS manages clinical practice by scheduling, reviewing consults and, finishing encounters to meet timeliness standards. The CPS participates and/or supports Pharmacy Service-initiated cost/benefit programs in support of VA efforts at maintaining stewardship of resources. The CPS participates in peer performance review as stipulated by VHA Directive 2008-043 for clinical pharmacists providing direct patient care under a scope of practice. Education: The CPS will assume an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program including pharmacy students, professional and non-professional staff members, and actively participates in all clinical pharmacy activities, e.g. staff development, clinical pharmacy meetings, etc. Preferred Experience: Ambulatory care, Home Based Primary Care. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 pounds); straight pulling (1 hour); pushing (1 hour) reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (2 hours); standing (2 hours); repeated bending (2 hours); both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted). 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 or 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. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.