Careers

This position is located at VA Puget Sound, a two-divisional university affiliated teaching and research Medical Center with pharmacy locations at American Lake in Tacoma, Seattle, and outlying community based clinics. The Pharmacy has a pivotal role in the care of Veterans being seen in our centers of excellence in primary care or one of the many specialty services provided by this tertiary Medical Center. 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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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 as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). 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. 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. § 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. For grade levels above the GS-11, the candidate must be licensed. 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. 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. 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. Preferred Experience: Someone currently working in an Inpatient setting with at least 1 year of current Inpatient experience Recent compounded sterile preparation mixing experience References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/55 JUNE 7, 2012 PART II APPENDIX G15 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-11 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: Heavy Lifting (45 pounds and over); Moderate Lifting (15-44 pounds); Light Lifting (under 15 pounds); Moderate carrying (15-44 pounds); Reaching above shoulder; Use of Fingers; Both hands required; Walking (8 hours); Standing(6 hours); Repeated bending (2 hours); Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaegar 1 to 4; Far Vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted); Mental and Emotional stability Environmental Factors: Constant noise: Dust; Unusual fatigue factors (extensive keyboard/mouse); Working closely with others; Working alone; Protracted or irregular hours of work ["The incumbent integrates the knowledge and skills of pharmacists and technicians into the distributive and clinical processes of providing outcome driven pharmaceutical care to Veterans; reviews and monitors drug therapy, provides professional advice and consultative services, educates peers, patients, and families, documents care in the medical record according to standard operating procedures, and continually integrates new knowledge and technology to improve the quality of care provided to Veterans. The Following Duties will include but are not limited to: Clinical: Promotes pharmaceutical care service to Veterans in medical center clinics and on inpatient wards. Provides prescription dispensing and controlled substance/high-cost drug accountability. Interacts and makes recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care. Reviews patient's medications, allergies, labs and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacts providers as appropriate. Reviews, interprets, and verifies medication orders for appropriateness; collaborates with the providers at the front end of the prescription order process to improve patient outcomes; ensures computerized patient record system (CPRS) pending prescriptions are triaged, prioritized and processed in a timely manner as it relates to window waiting times, discharges, delivery to wards and mail out. Provides medication counseling and verifies patient understanding of the medication, its intended purpose, proper use, expected outcomes, and how to obtain refills/renewals; performs medication reconciliation to ensure an updated medication profile. Ensures orders are clinically appropriate and meets formulary requirements, provides drug information to providers, assists with therapeutic substitutions, non-formulary reviews and documenting activities in the CPRS record; documents recommendations and interventions according to pharmacy standard operating procedures. Submits adverse drug reaction (ADE) reports and patient incident (PIR) reports according to Medical Center policies. Assists in medical emergencies by participating in codes. Participates in quality improvement and patient safety programs including; incident and adverse event reporting, identifying drug related problems, drug alerts, drug recalls, drug shortages and documenting allergies. Maintains knowledge and practice to help ensure full compliance with medical center accreditation standards and other regulatory requirements Discontinues duplicate prescription(s) received at other VA sites and notifies other VA sites when appropriate (due to prescription duplication). Education Trains, educates, and precepts pharmacy residents and/or pharmacy students. Educates medical students, residents, attending staff, nursing and other professional staff. Educates patients, patient's family, and caregivers in issues relating to drug therapy. Distributes and communicates drug information to other health care providers. Administrative Provides oversight of technical staff in aspects of medication distribution. When assigned, serves as Pharmacist-in-Charge in the absence of a supervisor to ensure continuity of patient care and pharmacy operations. Assists with the development of quality and safety improvement initiatives and the collection and analysis of data. Examples include but are not limited to order sets, MUE's, protocols, monographs, and participation in committees or task groups. Assists with the development of policies and procedures that help streamline drug distribution processes. Research Assists with the development and implementation of pharmacy based, patient focused research studies. Dispenses and maintains accountability records for investigational drugs as needed. Provides investigational drug information to medical, nursing and other professional staff. Conducts investigational drug patient counseling when appropriate. Performs other functions as assigned by supervisor Work Schedule: compressed tour 2200-0800, includes weekends and occasional holiday\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 000000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized"]