Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. The area of consideration will be referred in the following order: 1) Current permanent Puget Sound VA HCS employees 2) Current permanent Agency (Department of Veterans Affairs) employees. 3) Past/Current/Upcoming VHA HPT Graduates. 4) Current permanent employees of other Federal agencies.

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Oncology Drug Stewardship Program Management

• Develops, implements, and maintains the Oncology Drug Stewardship Program as a new clinical pharmacy program to improve outcomes of patients on oncology drugs.
• Collaborates with Formulary Program Manager to facilitate consistent interpretation and implementation of drug formulary, drug restrictions, practice guidelines, management of drug shortages, and requests for use of non-formulary drugs or for off-label indications.
• Collaborates with Pharmacoeconomics Program Manager to identify and implement cost savings and cost avoidance activities of established or emerging oncology drug therapies.
• Collaborates with Hematology, Oncology, MTU, Nursing, and Clinical Nutrition Services to proactively create, review and update local oncology disease treatment guidelines, clinical pathways, policies and dosing protocols.
• Monitors utilization rates for oncology drugs and initiates procedures to optimize use.
• Maintains clinical oversight of patients receiving oncology drugs to ensure safe and effective utilization.

Clinical

• Documents all recommendations and interactions in electronic health record (EHR) as progress notes in appropriate format to maximize clinical pharmacy workload capture.
• Ensures that drug-related problems are identified, addressed and resolved in a consistent and coordinated process.
• Completes medication reconciliation and provides patients with an updated list of medication in compliance with current policies.
• Participates in Adverse Drug Event Reporting Program and reports medication errors to promote Veteran patient safety.
• Provides in depth review of Prior Authorization Drug Requests (PADR's) utilizing the PADR consult process to document approval or disapproval of non-formulary or restricted drugs.

Clinical (Scope of Practice)

• Independently initiates orders for medications, medication changes, and lab tests as permitted by scope of practice and medical center policy or protocol.
• Maintains advanced training and knowledge of pharmaceutics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics. Has skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of Oncology therapy including interpretation of laboratory data and appropriate diagnostic procedures.
• Facilitates and coordinates clinical activities of pharmacists within their Scope of Practice to promote a consistently high level of pharmaceutical care for all patients under their care.

Education

• Assesses and provides comprehensive medication and disease state counseling for veteran patients and family to ensure safe and effective medication use and disease state outcome goals are met.
• Provides drug information to health professionals and pharmacy staff regarding changes in practice, formulary management, and new modalities related to oncology drugs or the therapeutic use of oncology drugs.
• Provides authoritative drug information and resolution of questions posed by physicians, consultants and other health care providers regarding appropriateness of drug therapy, stability, compatibilities, contraindications, adverse effects, drug-drug/drug-food/drug-disease interactions, drug use criteria, and formulary alternatives.
• Precepts Pharmacy students and residents.

Administration/Supervision

• Promotes Pharmacy Clinical Service philosophy of multidisciplinary teamwork and customer service and to make patient-focused decisions.
• Maintains continuous readiness for internal and external quality surveys.
• Ensures hazardous medications are handled in accordance with departmental policies, procedures, and State and Federal laws and regulations.
• Ensures that VA Puget Sound Pharmacy services meet or exceed all applicable facility and VHA policies, FDA and DEA regulations, Federal and State Laws, and The Joint Commission standards for Oncology drugs.
• Supervises assigned Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners (CPP) including assigning schedules, managing leave and conducting appraisals of staff performance.
• Recruits and selects new staff utilizing Performance Based Interviewing techniques and Equal Employment Opportunity principles.
• Incorporates continuous quality improvement (CQI) philosophy into all areas of the Pharmacy.

Research

• Assists medical staff in developing, conducting, and presenting the results of medication use evaluations, outcome measures, and basic research.
• Participates as a preceptor for pharmacy PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents or projects.
• Assist with investigational new drug process.
• Promotes and facilitates pharmacist involvement in pharmacotherapy research and scholarship.
• Collaborates with the Investigational Drug Program Manager for drug studies which include inpatient or outpatient administration of oncologic drugs.

Work Schedule: 7AM - 3:30PM, Monday - Friday
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: 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.
• 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).
• 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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.
• English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• 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 2 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.

Grade Determinations:
GS-13, Pharmacy Supervisor (Oncology)

Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs:

a. Ability to effectively supervise subordinate staff.
b. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
c. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards pertaining to pharmacy.
d. Skill in managing people or programs.

Preferred Experience: Completion of a Post-Graduate Year 1 (PGY1) residency and a Post-Graduate Year 2 (PGY2) residency, preferably with a specialization in Oncology, is highly desirable. Additionally, a minimum of 3 years of professional experience in the field of Oncology Pharmacy is preferred. Candidates who hold Board Certification in Oncology Pharmacy (BCOP) are strongly preferred.

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-13.

Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 lbs. and over), moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 lbs.), light lifting (15 lbs. and under), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands, standing, repeated bending, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, depth perception, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid may be permitted), and mental and emotional stability. Environmental factors include constant noise, dust, extensive use of keyboard/mouse, working closely with others, working alone, and protracted or irregular hours of work.

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 MAY 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.