Clinical Pharmacist, Education Debt Reduction Program/Recruitment or Relocation Incentive

Full Job Description

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. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/07/2026.

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.

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.

NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C.

§ 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment.

This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.

English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 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).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment in paragraph 2, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

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 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, or 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): Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.

Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.

Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.

Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: VA PGY1 Residency or two years pharmacy practice.

VA Pharmacy experience to include the following: Formulary Management, Dispensing of Pharmaceuticals, Inventory Management, Executing recalls, Therapeutic Interchange.

Two years customer service experience to include service recovery Professional Pharmacy Practice to include monitoring drug therapies and interpretation of laboratory parameters Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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: Ability to distinguish basic colors. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work.

Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site.

Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. Major Duties:

The functions of the Staff Pharmacist are designed to provide an active program of Pharmacy services with regard to drug distribution, drug information, and pharmaceutical education to patients and other health care staff in inpatient, outpatient, and ambulatory care areas.

The primary functions will be the interpretation of provider orders, dispensing of medications, and counseling patients on proper use of medication, administration, drug information, and storage.

The pharmacist engages in direct and/or supportive patient care for an aging adult population, which requires knowledge, skills and consideration for specific patient conditions.

Accepts verbal orders on medication clarifications and changes in terms of drug, dose, route of administration, and automatic stop dates.

Accesses appropriate patient records for proper evaluations of clinical situations and therapeutic decision making.

Interviews patients to obtain additional information regarding disease state/drug therapy when evaluating a clinical situation.

Identifies and recommends corrective action for drug-induced problems or potential problems. This would include drug allergies, duplication of therapy, and polypharmacy.

Evaluates provider's orders as to appropriateness based on patient medication profiles. Acts as preceptor/supervisor for professional or technical level pharmacy students.

Completes quality assurance audits of clinical programs, drug distribution systems, controlled substance records, and other areas of Pharmacy Service as assigned.

Work Schedule: Rotating shifts Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual/remote position.

Functional Statement #: 54329-F and/or 54328-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentive: May be authorized for a highly qualified candidate.

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more