Clinical Pharmacist

Located within the Pharmacy Department at the Sheridan VA Medical Center, this position requires analyzing real and potential drug-related medical problems and implementing corrective action to ensure that patients receive optimal drug therapy. The successful candidate will apply standards relating to all aspects of distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs.

• Ensures efficient & timely workload management of the local prescription pending file & acts as a liaison, resolving problems as they arise.
• Responsible for cost saving opportunities by actively being involved in formulary management activities.
• Evaluates medication orders & medication profiles for appropriateness of therapy.
• Ensures prescriptions coming from Non-VA providers are processed.
• Remains up to date about modern technology, management practices, & clinical practice by reading relevant material in reputable journals & resources.
• Participates in the training & in-servicing of pharmacists, pharmacy techs, residents, students, & other medical personnel as required.
• Verifies electronic orders for accuracy while performing a prospective drug utilization evaluation taking into account drug-drug interactions, drug- allergy contraindications, drug-disease interactions, & dosage form.
• Assures doses are within acceptable limits.
• Ensures start & stop dates and times are entered appropriately.
• Ensures that special comments are taken into consideration & clarified, when needed.
• Ensures indication is listed on all medication orders for patients admitted to any unit of the Sheridan VA Medical Center.
• Ensures therapy duplication is minimized & instructions given to nurses for specific use when duplication is ordered.
• Ensures that information such as generic name of drug, manufacturer's name, lot number, control number, shipment number, etc., are properly entered into unit dose packaging machine & are recorded on log books & on labels.
• Ensures that technician packaged items are double-checked by a registered pharmacist prior to distribution to wards.
• Reads & interprets prescriptions, obtains proper medication or material in the proper strength & dosage form; determines proper amount & counts, pours, or measures the medications; affixes proper label; & records required data on Pharmacy's copy of prescription/order.
• Dispenses medication to unit staff according to pharmacy policies & procedures.
• Performs final review of medication to be dispensed to inpatient areas, &/or fills automated drug cabinets independently without secondary review.
• Rounds with interdisciplinary team on inpatient medical ward, consults with medical providers on formulary alternatives, policies & procedures.
• Answers questions from pharmacy & non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution to include issues with inpatient automation.
• Conducts comprehensive appraisals of patients' health status by completing medication histories including patient interviews.
• Completes medication reconciliation including updating the medication profile to reflect an accurate, active list of VA & non-VA medications.
• Provides oral &/or written communication with other health care professionals regarding drug therapy selection & management.
• Monitors & assesses drug therapy, communicating the findings & any recommendations for changes to appropriate providers, & documenting appropriately in CPRS.
• Provides patient & health care professional education & drug information.
• Utilizes all CPRS & pharmacy software functions including: order flags, view alerts, hold functions, & service reject.
• Enters supply orders to support medication compliance & accurate medication administration.
• Manages out-of-stock situations by substituting alternate dosage strengths & instructions of the same medication equal to the prescribed dose & schedule as approved by the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee.
• Implements VA medical facility policies including therapeutic interchanges & automatic substitutions.
• Participates in medical emergencies including code teams & emergency management activities.
• Reports adverse drug events, near misses & medication errors.
• Completes non-formulary & medication approval consults.
• Documents patient care activities in CPRS.
• Participates in clinical pharmacy education during shared medical appointments or group visits.
• Completes chart review activities & comprehensive medication management reviews for Community Living Centers, home based primary care, & residential treatment facilities.
• Performs population management activities to identify high risk patients & those in need of comprehensive medication management services.
• Ensures inventory discrepancies are resolved prior to dispensing, & notifies the Chief as soon as discrepancy is discovered.
• Fills controlled substances in both inpatient & outpatient pharmacy.
• Operates & maintains complicated pharmacy equipment including ScriptPro outpatient pharmacy automation, unit dose packaging machines, & inpatient pharmacy automation equipment.

• 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.
• 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.

• *** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until December 31, 2024. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be September 10, 2024. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. ***
• 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 ; phone:, or through their Web site at: (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.
  • 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.
  • Failure to Obtain License. In all cases, pharmacists must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment.
  • At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the unlicensed pharmacist with the written requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline.
  • Failure to become licensed within 2 years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0660 Pharmacist series and may result in termination of employment.
  • Grandfathering Provision. All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of the qualification standard (6/7/2012) 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, must meet one of the provisions listed in Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard, formerly Part II Appendix G15.
• Grade Determinations:
  • GS-11 Pharmacist
  • Experience, Education, & Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.
  • Assignment. Pharmacists at this grade level serve in a developmental capacity.
  • GS-12 Clinical Pharmacist
  • 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 (GS-11), or
    • Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following 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:
    • PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency completion
    • Acute care/hospital & outpatient pharmacy experience
    • BPS board certification
  • Reference:
    • For more information on this qualification standard, please visit 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:
    • This position provides services to patients and their families. Incumbents must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others.
    • Normal work of the position requires visual acuity (with the ability to read typewritten characters without strain, corrective lenses permitted), keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, manual dexterity.
    • This position may require reaching above shoulder-level height and requires potentially moderate levels of lifting and carrying {15-44 pounds).
    • This position requires long periods of sitting, standing and walking.
    • The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.