Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement DOES NOT APPLY TO THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens. Note: 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans preference to external applicants for appointments made from this announcement during FY2025.

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*** THIS VACANCY IS BEING EXTENDED. APPLICANTS WHO HAVE APPLIED BY THE INITIAL CLOSING DATE 12/4/2025 WILL BE CONSIDERED PRIOR TO ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES. IF SELECTION IS MADE FROM INITIAL LIST OF CANDIDATES, ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES MAY NOT BE REFERRED. ***

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

Clinical:

• Provide diverse and complementary clinical pharmacy services in support of the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model.I
• Interview the patient, review the drug regimen, and current lab values and develop, initiate, monitor and adjust an appropriate clinical care plan.
• Additional functions included extending refills and/or referring the patient to his/her primary care physician, coordinating traveling veteran prescription needs, providing smoking cessation services, and chronic pain management consultation.

Education:

• Provide active educational support to the medical staff and nursing staff on a regular basis. Support is in the form of formal and informal in-service presentations, pharmacotherapy news bulletin, and distribution of printed information on pharmaceuticals and drug therapies.
• Advise all health care practitioners on drug product selection within the VA National formulary. Make recommendations on alternate therapy when necessary.
• Maintain active membership in the assigned committees.

Administration:

• Establish and maintain policies and procedures for all aspects of pharmacy operations. Operations include custody, control, storage, distribution, destruction, and evaluation of drug utilization within the Health Care System.
• Ensure that space, automation, equipment, and fixtures are adequate to meet the needs of the Service.
• Develop and maintain liaison with local health organizations for exchange of ideas, best practices, training programs, and enhancement of the image of VA Pharmacy.

Program Administration:

• Establish, implement, and revise a Pharmacy Service Quality Management Plan that is integrated with goals and objectives of the Medical Center. Participate and lead systems redesign activities to improve and sustain pharmacy operations throughout the facility.
• Evaluate, plan, implement, coordinate, and review all Pharmacy Service programs to ensure timely and quality distributive and pharmaceutical care.
• Accountable for ordering, receiving, control, distribution, and destruction of Schedule II-V agents within the Health Care System.
• Maintain a clean, safe organized work environment. Ensure that the work site is in compliance with basic safety standards set by OSHA and the Medical Center and that Service employees receive all mandatory training in safety related topics.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 0800-1630
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: Chief, Pharmacy Service
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Required

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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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/. (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. 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 USC.§ 7402(j)). 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.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
• 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 Determination:
GS-15
Experience. In addition to the GS-14 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Grade Level Criteria. At the GS-15 level, Chiefs of Pharmacy must meet the following:

• Individuals are assigned as Chiefs of Pharmacy at Complexity Level 1a, 1b or 1c VHA facilities; or
• Individuals are assigned as Chief of Pharmacy at Complexity Levels 2 or 3 and must meet the criteria noted below.

a. Must meet all of the following requirements:

• Manages a complex medical center based pharmacy program that is defined as having multiple practice settings ( e.g. hospital ambulatory care, long-term care, behavior health care) that require Joint Commission review as separate standards.
• In addition to the medical center pharmacy, has responsibility for pharmacy services at one or more of the following: CBOCs, Rural Health Program, domiciliary, or provides dispensing and/or clinical services to State Veterans Home.
• Presence of advanced clinical pharmacy programs that include pharmacist(s) that have approved scopes of practice with prescriptive privileges.
• Pharmacy provides clinical pharmacist services to three (3) or more specialty areas such as, but not limited to, hemodialysis, oncology, operating room or an emergency department.???????

b. In addition to the requirements listed above, must meet at least two of the following:

• An ASHP Accredited Pharmacy Residency Program.
• A Research Program that is accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP).
• Actively involved in committees or advisory/work groups at the VISN and/or National level.
• An ongoing pharmacy student rotation in both the intermediate and advanced practice experience settings.

Demonstrated KSAs. The KSAs shown below apply to all assignments at this grade level, and the specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*) apply to assignment 1 and 2

1. Skill in persuading others and gaining cooperation to accomplish goals.
2. Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues.
3. Skill in utilizing regulatory and quality standards to develop and implement operational programs.
4. Skill in managing multiple and diverse people or programs.
5. *Skill in utilizing available resources to support the missions and goals of the organization.
6. *Ability to plan, organize and direct the functions of the pharmacy staff.

Preferred Experience:

• 2 years post-graduate residency training (PGY1, PGY2) or equivalent experience.
• Board Certification from recognized boards, such as BCPS (Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist), BCOP (Board Certified Oncology Pharmacist)
• Previous leadership or management experience, with a proven record of successfully leading a team of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
• Strong understanding of pharmacoeconomics and its application in formulary decision-making and cost containment.

Reference can be found at the VA Qualification Repository, VA Qualifications Standards - Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) GS-0660, Pharmacist Qualification Standard, dated June 7, 2012.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-15.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. 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. Additionally, use of fingers, both hands required, walking and standing (1 hour), near vision correctable to 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, hearing (aid may be permitted).

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.