Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees. 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 to include but not limited to:

Administrative/Supervision

• Designs, implements, and/or assists in the development of orientation, competencies, and trainings for Inventory Management Pharmacy Technician, Procurement Pharmacy Technicians, and other Pharmacy personnel.
• Develops and maintains systems or competencies to monitor the performance of competencies or trainings where appropriate.
• Develops performance standards that are realistic, challenging and support the organizational mission, vision, and goals.
• Provides or refers employees to tools to help meet performance standards and competencies and identifies areas tor improvement as needed.
• Provides direct supervision of duties performed by Inventory Management Pharmacy Technician and Procurement Pharmacy Technicians.
• Establishes work schedules for pharmacy inventory management and procurement pharmacy technicians as needed to provide adequate coverage.
• Recognizes need for changes in procurement related workflow, safety parameters, policies and procedures, and works to initiate or implement changes.
• Utilizes the Veterans Integrated Systems Technology Architecture (VistA), Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) computer systems and other automated pharmacy equipment and computer software systems effectively.
• Ensures Federal, VHA, and local acquisition regulations are followed with proper coordination between the delivery of pharmacy services and the overall delivery of health care by pharmacy personnel.
• Other duties as assigned.

Program Management

• Utilizes strict accounting practices to maintain an accurate budget.
• Maintains sufficient inventory for the needs of the medical center, yet not exceeding budget allowance.
• Assess meeting and maintaining compliance with Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) requirements and/or other federal, local, national pharmaceutical supply chain requirements.
• Reviews medication and supply purchases made by procurement/purchase card holders through prime vendor, hard to find, purchase card, and/or contract for compliance with acquisition regulations (local, VA, and federal) and maintenance of proper sourcing order.
• Provides direct oversight for the accountability of expired or soon-to-expire medications held for return for credit.
• Verifies all items are secured and monitored through the time of pick up by the contracted reverse distributor to reduce possibility of undetected loss, theft, or misuse.
• Presents various reports, including but not limited to, expenditure reports, cost analysis, stock usage, budget forecast, drug shortages, drug recalls and new product cost impact to Pharmacy.
• Works with Pharmacy Program Manager(s), staff, and other service(s) to establish appropriate par levels, verify timely receipt of pharmaceuticals, maintain proper storage requirements of hazardous and nonhazardous pharmaceuticals, and keep Material Safety Data Sheet(s).
• Leads Patient Level PBM Recall process, including not limited to, notifications and responses. Takes appropriate on all drug and product recalls according to VA Directives, policies, and SOPs.

Management

• Functions as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and prepares and/or assists in the preparation of contract requests for Pharmacy Service.
• Provides direct oversite of the All-Hazards Emergency Cache inventory requirements.
• Serves as liaison between Supply Chain Management Service, Prosthetics, Pharmacy, company representatives and managerial staff.

Clinical

• Promotes a patient-focused, team-based multi-disciplinary model of pharmaceutical care to promote drug prescribing, medication monitoring and drug laboratory review that support positive outcomes from medication use.
• Enhances current pharmacy system to place pharmacists into an environment of direct patient and prescriber contact, where pharmacists also have unrestricted access to clinical information.
• Participates in the provision of pharmaceutical care support services as required including drug distribution, drug information, database management and documentation of interventions.

Medication Dispensing and Distribution

• Performs all inpatient and/or outpatient distributive functions according to VHA and VAMHCS policies to provide comprehensive pharmaceutical services in a timely fashion to meet the needs of the patients and medical center staff.

Education

• Remains aware of pharmacy provisional responsibilities under the National Pharmacy Prosthetics and Supply Chain Management Committee and associated committee decisions.
• Ensures employees meet all mandatory training requirements.

Work Schedule: 8-4:30pm, Monday-Friday; All shifts are determined or approved by management based on service needs.
Telework: Ad-hoc Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 260101F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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

Grade Determinations:

GS-13 Pharmacist (Facility Program Manager)

• Manages all aspects of a distinct program to include policy development, quality resources and specialty functions unique to the program to optimize cost effectiveness (budget) and patient outcomes. Coordinates a single program area of a complex pharmacy operation, or multiple program areas within a facility to develop, organize, manage, and control complex pharmacy programs. Develops, organizes, coordinates and manages single or multiple program areas within the medical facility; this may include a single program area at multiple facilities. The Program Manager title is reserved for those individuals who have one or more of the following: supervisory responsibilities for various sections within Pharmacy Service; a complex program requiring coordination of multiple locations such as medical center care facilities, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), rural health, telemedicine, etc.; specialized areas of a complex nature such as nuclear pharmacy, quality assurance, pharmacy informatics, clinical applications coordinator, Home Based Primary Care, pharmacoeconomist or liaison pharmacist duties requiring the coordination of processes with other medical facilities or VISNs. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the KSAs identified in subparagraph 3b(3)(b)1 above.

Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Examples of experience at the GS-12 grade levels include but not limited to: Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff. Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security. Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: Two or more years of experience in all of the following:

1. Managing pharmaceutical procurement operations.
2. Coordinating inventory-turn optimization efforts.
3. Establishing and managing par levels for medications and medical/surgical supplies.
4. Developing or updating pharmacy policies, procedures, and/or workflows.

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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the position require regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 40 pounds, pushing and pulling of large carts. The job may include significant time at a computer terminal.

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent VA employees of the VA Maryland Health Care System facility (512). This includes medical centers and CBOC's within VAMHCS.
2. All other VA employees.

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.