Clinical Pharmacist (Outpatient)

Quick Facts

• Role: Clinical Pharmacist (Outpatient)

• Setting: Ambulatory Care, Acute Care, or Community Living Center (as assigned)

Description

Provide comprehensive pharmaceutical care by reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders and processing/dispensing medications. Deliver clinical pharmacy services including medication therapy monitoring, drug information, medication reconciliation, and patient counseling to support safe and effective outcomes. Manage pharmacy workflow and compliance, and oversee day-to-day operation of pharmacy equipment and automation.

Responsibilities

• Independently practice pharmacy in accordance with VA policies, regulations, and state/federal laws

• Ensure timely pharmacy services with accurate dispensing and record keeping; organize workload and solve problems

• Participate in quality improvement, pharmacoeconomic initiatives, committees, and workgroups

• Provide advanced ambulatory/acute/CLC pharmacy care and recommendations to clinical teams

• Review orders for patient information, dose/route, frequency, allergies, drug interactions/incompatibilities, duplication, and priority

• Finish, input, verify, and dispense medications in outpatient, unit dose, and IV admixture formats

• Identify actual and potential drug-related problems to reduce medication errors and improve patient satisfaction

• Dispense controlled substances per DEA, FDA, VA, and Joint Commission requirements

• Use VistA, CPRS, BCMA, and other automated pharmacy equipment/software; operate automation systems (e.g., Scriptpro, Pyxis, Parata, BD Cato)

• Monitor and manage medication therapy for assigned patients; evaluate pharmacologic appropriateness across care transitions

• Provide medication reconciliation and counseling; verify/document patient understanding and refill/processing information

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship

• Proficiency in written and spoken English

• ACPE-accredited pharmacy degree (BS Pharmacy and/or Pharm.D.; foreign degree must be FPGEC certified)

• Full, current, unrestricted pharmacist license in a U.S. state/territory/DC and ability to maintain registration

• GS-12 qualification: 1 year experience equivalent to GS-11 or completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D.

• Demonstrated knowledge of professional pharmacy practice, and laws/regulations/accreditation standards for drug distribution and control

• Ability to communicate with patients and healthcare staff; monitor and assess drug therapy outcomes using clinical/lab/diagnostic information

• Background/security investigation; pass pre-employment physical; complete onboarding and required vaccinations

• Ability to meet the 1–2 year trial period requirement with continued employment based on public interest certification

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases

• Paid time off: 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year (plus sick leave and federal holidays)

• Parental leave: up to 12 weeks paid parental leave after 12 months

• Child care subsidy: potential eligibility after 60 days (based on income and other criteria)

• Retirement: traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401(k) with up to 5% employer contributions

• Insurance: federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care options (many can carry into retirement)

• Telework: not eligible; Virtual: not a virtual position