Summary This Clinical Pharmacist (Inpatient Staff Pharmacist) position is in the VA Maine Healthcare System, located at the Togus location. This position is a full-time at 40 hours per week. Responsibilities The Clinical Pharmacist (Inpatient Staff Pharmacist) functions as a member of the health care team by providing services which are based on the knowledge and skills represented by licensure as a registered pharmacist. Duties include, but are not limited to: Verify the legality of each prescription and checking the patient's medication profile for appropriate therapeutic use and dosage, therapeutic duplication and polypharmacy/polyprescribing, allergies, drug interactions, other potential contraindications and patient eligibility before processing and verifying orders. View the patient's medications, notes, allergies, labs and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems. Evaluate all chemotherapy orders for appropriateness based on disease state, regimen, patient specific factors and laboratory results and ensures the double-check is completed on all orders prior to dispensing. Contact the provider to clarify orders as needed prior to dispensing. Complete medication histories, including patient or caregiver interviews, to reconcile medications and assure an accurate medication profile for both VA and non VA medications. This may include, but is not limited to, contacting the patient's provider to resolve major discrepancies, adding or removing non-VA medications, discontinuing duplicate medications or medications the patient is no longer taking. Document all evaluations of potential medication related complications, including how they were investigated and resolved. Document all clinical interventions in the medical record. Monitor and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters. Provide pharmacokinetic and other consultations in accordance with local policy, procedure or protocol. Enter orders including supply items, therapeutic interchanges and automatic substitutions per local policy, procedure or protocol. Extend refills of appropriate orders until the next scheduled appointment per local policy, procedure or protocol. Counsel patients or caregivers on medication regimens to ensure proper use, compliance, and understanding of therapy. Oversight of pharmacy technician work for all aspects of preparation and distribution. Responsible for monthly inspections of pharmacy, ward and/or clinic stocks of medication for compliance with national and local regulations. Emergency crash cart maintenance is also included in the pharmacist's responsibility. Have knowledge of all the duties of technicians and supervise them in these duties in their assigned area. Dispense controlled dangerous substances and other drugs and supplies according to state, federal, VA and local regulations. Responsible for routine supervision of clerical and technical employees, volunteers, pharmacy students, residents and temporary employees. Work Schedule: Full-Time Various schedules including rotating coverage of evening shifts, weekends, and holidays. Rotating on-call coverage will be required. Individuals are expected to arrive to the facility within 60 minutes of contact when on-call. Compressed/Flexible: Not authorized Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework on an ad-hoc basis. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F02913 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized NOTIFICATIONS: This position is in the Excepted Service. This is an AFGE Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by a special rate. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) will be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. 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 probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. May be subject to satisfactory completion of our credentialing process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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. 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/. OR 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). License: 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 OR 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. English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English. GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist (Inpatient Staff Pharmacist): Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS 11. OR 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Work requires moderate lifting, walking, bending, stooping, standing, pushing, and pulling. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.