Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent federal employees of the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System and Past/Current/Upcoming VHA HPT graduates. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provides clinical and operational supervision to West Los Angeles inpatient pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.
• Plans and establishes work schedules and allocates staff as needed to provide adequate coverage. Establishes priorities and deadlines.
• Interviews candidates for positions in the section and recommends appointment, promotion, or reassignment to such positions.
• Monitors performance and conducts progress reviews and performance evaluations. Provides guidance, counsel, or instruction to staff on clinical and administrative matters.
• Approves leave and overtime. Monitors leave and overtime usage. Handles any attendance and leave problems with appropriate measures.
• Addresses employee performance and conduct problems with appropriate action. Hears and resolves complaints from employees.
• Identifies training needs of employees and arranges for needed training.
• Develops and establishes policies and procedures defining operational requirements.
• Responsible for maintaining policies and procedures related to patient care activities by utilizing an advanced in-depth knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice.
• Responsible for monitoring controlled and non-controlled drugs stored and issued from the West Los Angeles pharmacies and maintaining accountability.
• Responsible for WLA inpatient pharmacy operations throughout WLA.
• Checks inpatient and outpatient prescriptions/orders that are filled by pharmacy technicians ensuring their accuracy and completeness prior to dispensing/administration.
• The incumbent will assist and work closely with Bar Code Administration (BCMA) coordinators, Clinical Application Coordinators (CAC), and other Quality Management and Patient Safety coordinators to ensure pharmacy adheres to current standards or practice and advises pharmacy administration, managers, and supervisors of any areas that need improvement.
• Assists and participates in Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and/or Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA) and other Risk Analysis or Quality Improvement projects as requested to ensure pharmacy service contributes to safe medication management processes throughout the facility.
• Effectively organizes workload, plans short and long range objectives, solves problems, and achieves goals within budget and staffing constraints.
• Responsible for patient care activities utilizing an advanced in-depth knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice.
• Collaborates for patient care activities involving highly innovative methods of healthcare delivery.
• Evaluates a wide variety of patients in assigned patient care areas and makes appropriate recommendations on drug therapy.
• Assesses the appropriateness of prescription orders. Verifies new prescription orders for name of the patient, drug, formulary availability or status, drug dose, quantity, indications, directions, and number of refills. Additionally, the incumbent verifies that all appropriate laboratory tests or other monitoring tests are completed before the prescription is processed.
• Processes pending orders, as needed.
• Provides teaching to pharmacy trainees including residents, pharmacy students, and pharmacy technician students.
• Collaborates with the pharmacy education section to promote the learning experience and improve the performance of all levels of pharmacy staff.
• Participates in all aspects of training such as conducting on-the-job training and monitoring performance.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday from 6:00am-5:30pm; variable shift; tour may be adjusted to meet medical center and patient care needs.
Compressed/Flexible: Unavailable.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000/Pharmacy Supervisor

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

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:
  • 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.) School transcripts must be submitted with your application. OR,
  • 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). A copy of the FPGEC certificate must be submitted with your application.
• 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. An active copy of unrestricted license to practice pharmacy must be submitted.

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). All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of June 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, the following provisions apply:

• Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations:

GS-13 Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, candidates must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12).

AND

Applicant must meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below:
1. Ability to effectively supervise subordinate staff.
2. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
3. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards pertaining to pharmacy.
4. Skill in managing people or programs.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. VA Handbook 5005/55 PART II APPENDIX G15, Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard GS-0660.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing/sitting for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs., and bending/stooping. The work may entail repetitive wrist movement while using various size syringes, vial cap removal, and typing.

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.