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Pharmacist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

This position serves as a Clinical Pharmacist at the Edward Hines, Jr Hospital, 5000 S 5th Ave, Hines, IL 60141 within the Patient Safety manager service. The Patient Safety Manager Pharmacist works closely with all services to provide operational, analytical, and evaluative support regarding patient safety matters.
The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
03/25/2026 to 03/31/2026
Salary
$150,535 to - $195,669 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Hines, IL
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
HN-12918901-26-MB
Control number
862288600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

Duties

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VA Careers - Pharmacy:https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws
Provides Clinical Support:
Uses clinical knowledge to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of clinical performance
within the facility, using data collected by internal and external monitoring processes. Relays
this information to clinical leadership and senior leaders.
Uses clinical knowledge to provide day-to-day evaluation of situations which might pose
clinical risk, implementing risk mitigation strategies to improve clinical care delivery.
Develops relevant risk mitigation plans and tracks clinical outcomes to determine compliance
with, and sustainability of, said plans.. Uses clinical knowledge to complete individual quality reviews and/or case assessments to
determine which improvement efforts are necessary to improve clinical care delivery.
Implements relevant improvement strategies, which may include, but are not limited to, one on-
one teaching, group educational sessions, process redesign, and/or peer review.. Uses clinical judgment to determine if clinical error has occurred. Develops a plan to address such error.
Utilizes knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, medical and nursing
diagnoses, reading, and interpreting orders, lab values, progress notes, medications, and
treatment plans, to be able to determine and discuss the appropriateness of health care provided
by various clinical professionals at VA CCHCS.
Gathers and integrates knowledge from databases of adverse events and safety alerts from
many different sources, including Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Institute for Safe
Medication Practice (ISMP), The Joint Commission (TJC), and Centers for Disease Control
(CDC).
Functions as the lead manager and implementer of patient safety policies and activities
developed by the National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS).
Performs tasks and responsibilities directly supporting the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) process
including review, categorization, research, facility feedback and analysis of data contained in
cases submitted to the NCPS.
Identifies cases suitable for teaching purposes, assists in the development of training materials,
facilitates RCAs, and provides training support to the patient safety program. Will be available
for consultation in various care areas throughout the health care system to include community based
outpatient clinics (CBOCs).
Provides direct support to the development, maintenance, and operation of the VHA's patient
safety process and program at the facility level.
Responsible for translating theories, and strategies, and national policies into action within the
complex interrelationships that exists related to patient safety.
Demonstrates patient safety analysis techniques, including root causes analysis (RCA), cause
and effect analysis, and Healthcare Failure Mode Effect and Analysis (HFMEA) as applied to
the health care setting.
Leads, directs, and assists healthcare system staff in the operation of the facility's patient safety
program.
Sits on various health care system committees as mandated by VHA and/or local policy.
Completes other assignments as delegated.
Provides Data Analysis.
Performs Administration Work, Uses Research Principles.
Supervisory Controls.
Meets the needs of customers while supporting the medical center and service missions. Consistently
communicates and treats customers (patients, visitors, volunteers, and all healthcare system staff) in a
courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provides the customer with consistent information according
to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer
constructively and appropriately.

Work Schedule: M-F 7:00am-5:30pm TBD
upon orientation completion.
Telework: Not eligible for Telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  • Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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.
  • 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.) (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR,
    2. 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). (DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED)
  • 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. (COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED)
Grade Requirements: In addition to the Basic Requirements above, you must meet the following:
  • GS-13 Experience: In addition to the basic requirements have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12) that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled which includes but not limited to: Reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; Processing and filling medication orders; Interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered to ensure safe and effective care; Reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; Contacting providers as appropriate; Documenting recommendations and interventions; Providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies; Taking health and medication histories; Performing medication reconciliation; Providing drug information; assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations; Documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs); Assisting in medical emergencies; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the Grade Requirements above, you must demonstrate the following:
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
  • Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
  • Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
  • Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
  • Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.
Preferred Experience: 1 year Patient Safety Manager experience.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

Agency contact information

Marisol Barajas
Phone
708-904-8378
Email
Marisol.Barajas@va.gov
Address
Edward Hines Junior Hospital
5000 South 5th Avenue
Hines, IL 60141
US

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