This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.
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. Pharmacists 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. 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. 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-11 Pharmacist Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Full Performance Level) Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following: 1. 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, -OR- 2. Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program 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. Preferred Experience: A year of Inpatient Pharmacy Experience preferred Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The work involves long periods of moving, standing and pushing carts about the work unit. The work requires regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, lifting. The incumbent must be a mature, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, demonstrating cheerfulness, compassion, courtesy and concern for staff and patients. Must possess math skills in order to convert medications to the correct dosing. The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position involves lifting 25 pounds or less, able to visually confirm drug order correctness, and able to stand for periods of 30 minutes or greater.
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Distributive Interprets medication orders (verbal & written) and transcribes to computerized patient medication orders accurately and according to established policies, procedures and protocols. Maintains accurate, complete medication profile. Maintains records as required by law Facilitates the delivery of the correct drug in the correct dosage to the correct patient. Evaluate drug therapy regimens for contraindications, drug-drug interactions, drug food interactions, allergies and appropriateness of drug and dose within the context of the individual patients' medical conditions. Support the sterile products program (e.g. TPN, Chemotherapy, etc). Resolves a variety of questions posed by physicians, nurses and co-workers related to drugs, pharmacy services and departmental policies and procedures. Interprets various VA, Federal (FDA, DEA), other regulatory agency compliance standards Ability to exercise sound judgment in a variety of situations and be able to refer matters of policy making to a supervisor. Contributes to the quality and effective operation of the department Supervises and directs pharmacy support personnel in the absence of a supervisor. Verifies the daily activities of pharmacy technicians. Works independently with minimal supervision. Organizes and prioritizes work assignments. Ensures pharmacy services are provided in a timely and efficient manner. Keeps pharmacy area and equipment clean, neat, and well-organized. Ability to multi-task to continue to process orders and answer questions from technical staff and/or patients . Performs all pharmacy related activities as assigned. Provides quality control analysis for dispensing activities of automated dispensing equipment and pharmacy technicians. Education Trains professional staff including pharmacy, nursing, medical staff (including fellows & residents) and students. Interfaces with other health-care providers and administrators to ensure compliance with established pharmacy and medical center policies and procedures. Maintains competence required for current position including required TMS training, and BLS certification. Administration / Technical Support Administration/Technical Support Participates in Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting & medication error reporting. Works with other health care providers to develop programs for improvement of drug use. Develops and conducts drug usage evaluation in areas of needs from a cost and patient outcome perspective. Supports the hospital formulary and ensures its appropriate utilization by health care providers. Supports an effective quality assurance program for the inpatient pharmacy section that meets the changing service, patient, and/or Medical Center needs. Effectively manages and supervises technical support in the areas of clinical responsibility when required Work Schedule: Monday -Friday 7:30am -4:00pm Rotating nights, weekends and holidays Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: GS-11 52957 A, GS-12 52958A EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov,, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized