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Pharmaceutical care is that component of pharmacy practice which involves direct interaction between the pharmacist and the patient for the purpose of satisfying the patient's drug-related needs. The primary functions include the interpretation and professional evaluation of provider prescriptions, dispensing of appropriate medications, supervision of pharmacy technicians, students, and volunteers, plus the counseling of patients on proper medication use, medication storage, and adverse effects. 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. 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. (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy). [TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION] (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). [YOU MUST SUBMIT COPY OF FPGEC CERTIFICATION WITH THE APPLICATION PACKAGE].(3) NOTE: Current VA Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions]. 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. [YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF CURRENT LICENSE WITH THE APPLICATION PACKAGE]. Grandfathering Provision. All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. (3) If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 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). Preferred Experience: IV Compounding and Inpatient Hospital experience preferred. Grade Determinations: 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. 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 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 5005/55, Part II, Appendix G15, dated June 7, 2012, VA Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standards, GS-660. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (3 hours); Standing (4 hours); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid permitted). ["a. Clinical: i. Pharmacists engage in a systematic and comprehensive process to accomplish three primary functions: (1) identify patient's actual and potential drug-related problems, (2) resolve the patient's actual drug related problems, and (3) prevent the patient's potential drug-related problems. Drug-related problems may include the following: 1. Needing pharmacotherapy but not receiving it. 2. Taking or receiving the wrong drug. 3. Taking or receiving too little of the correct drug. 4. Taking or receiving too much of the correct drug. 5. Experiencing an adverse drug event. 6. Experiencing a drug-drug, drug-food, or drug-disease interaction. 7. Not taking or receiving the drug prescribed. 8. Taking or receiving a drug for which there is no valid medical indication. 9. Activities for this position include, but are not limited to, the following: a. Applies basic knowledge of pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacotherapeutics to monitor and assess patient's therapies, progress, labs, and drug-related problems. b. Consults with other health care professionals to ensure appropriate drug therapy such as when clarifying questionable or incomplete outpatient prescriptions. c. Provides written and/or verbal drug information to health care professionals. d. Counsels patients. 10. Clinical functions as assigned by supervisor may also include: a. Completing medication histories including patient interviews. b. Documenting activities in CPRS. c. Medication reconciliation 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 patient is not taking. d. Extending refills until next scheduled appointment under the provider's name. If no appointment exists when issuing the refill extension, the pharmacist must have a process to alert clinic staff or arrange for a future appointment when needed. e. Flagging prescriptions. f. Managing view alerts. g. Using the \"hold medication\" function. h. Generating unsigned discontinued orders using Service Reject. i. Monitoring drug therapy. j. Assessing drug safety and efficacy including evaluation of physical symptoms. k. Reporting adverse drug events, near misses and medication errors. l. Recommending formulary alternatives and completing non formulary consults. VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Work Schedule: 7:30am to 5:30pm Telework: Not Eligible Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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