Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. This announcement is open to employees of other federal agencies and the public. Current, permanent VA employees should apply to announcement CBSY- 13076026-26-KW

Videos

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEwsDuties include but are not limited to:

• Develop, implement and manage programs to optimize drug therapy costs.
• Monitor VHA contract pricing and account compliance to optimize procurement of the most cost-effective agents.
• Assist in cost usage analyses of high cost medications to identify high usage areas and usage trends.
• Consult and advise pharmacy leadership regarding inventory management.
• Monitor and report on status of pharmacy expenditures and identifying significant changes.
• Provide direct oversight of standard processes for the accountability of expired or soon to expire medications held for return for credit and ensures all items are secured and monitored.
• Process outdated, unusable and excess inventory for return and provide the financial oversight.
• Assure the proper pharmacy storage of all pharmaceuticals and supplies and coordinates purchase and record keeping of REMS medications.
• Lead department efforts to strategize response to pharmaceutical shortages in a standardized fashion.
• Develop and update policies and procedures defining operational requirements of all aspects of pharmacy inventory management and procurement execution.
• Serve as the subject matter expert (SME) in Pharmacy Inventory Management and participe in various levels of committees and workgroups.
• Prepare regular computations and drug budget forecasting for department and regularly updating leadership.
• Utilize extensive knowledge of pharmaceutical primary and alternate procurement sources.
• Provide leadership and guidance regarding controlled substance storage, accountability and destruction.
• Oversee processes for integrating new medications (to the facility) into standard systems and processes.
• Prepare for annual wall to wall inventory and DEA biennial inventory functions.
• Serve as liaison between Supply Chain (Logistics) and Prosthetics departments.
• Oversee compliance with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act.
• Utilize continuous quality improvement methods to detect and define problems and implement corrective action and improvement plans.
• Serve as liaison to CMOP QA Pharmacist to manage kickback orders, rejections and delivery arrangements of special pharmacy products.
• Provide backup to Pharmacy Informatics program managers on items pertaining to drug file maintenance.
• Provide backup to other program managers for medication shortages, Hazards Emergency Cache functions and drug recalls.
• Collaborate with Pharmacy management and Patient safety on pharmacy related training and development.
• Participate in development and implementation of drug education/clinical consultation to medical, surgical, nursing and pharmacy staff.
• Interface with other health care providers and administrators to ensure compliance with established pharmacy policies and procedures.
• Effectively communicate complex clinical and technical issues.
• Participate in self-development activities.
• Determine staff development needs and develop programs to enhance pharmacist and technician understanding and implementation of quality and safety programs.
• Assist in training of pharmacy employees and as a preceptor for pharmacy students and residents.
• Collaborate with other clinical pharmacists on pharmacy training and development.
• Participate in facility developed or supported mentorship programs.
• Provide appropriate selection of drug therapy based on pharmaceutical principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; monitoring for efficacy, side effects and clinical outcome; and advise prescribers as appropriate..
• Provide patient specific therapeutic drug monitoring and communicate relevant findings and or recommendations to other health care providers in charge of the patient.
• Perform continuous evaluation of prescribed medications,
• Provide medication counseling to patients.
• Complete medication histories and patient interviews.
• Serve as drug information resource.
• Participate in patient evaluations.
• Perform medication reconciliation at all transitions of care.
• Assess drug safety and efficacy.
• Report adverse drug events.
• Manage recalls and medication shortages.
• Enter supply orders.
• Maintain adequate drug stock.
• Supervise support personnel activities.
• Ensure dispensed drugs are correctly labeled and packaged and in compliance.
• Remain within compliance of all laws and directives relating to all manner of purchases.
• Verify fund availability prior to making purchases.
• Accurately input orders and reconcile payments timely and as directed by policy.
• Ensure compliance with all privacy laws when transmitting information

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm
Compressed/Flexible: No
Telework: Not eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
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.
• 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

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. NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy.
• License: 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.
• Foreign Education: 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).
• 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-12 Clinical Pharmacist

Experience or Education: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must meet one of the following:
1. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-11, or
2. Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program.

AND

Knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs): Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs):
1. Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
2. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.
3. Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
4. Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: Outpatient experience desired.

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-12.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Grandfathering Provision. All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard 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:

(1) 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.
(2) 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.
(3) 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current, permanent federal employees of other agencies
2. All other applicants based on Veterans' Preference

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.