Pharmacy Associate Service Chief, Operations

Associate Service Chief, Operations of Pharmacy Service

The Associate Service Chief, Operations of Pharmacy Service is responsible for managing and supervising Pharmacy Service programs supporting the outpatient pharmacy at James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, including the Domiciliary Program, Care in the Community, and Outpatient Clinics. The incumbent's responsibilities include management and oversight of multiple programs, including the outpatient operational pharmacy program, the pharmacy procurement program, the accredited research and investigational drug program, controlled substance management program, all-hazards cache program, and hazardous material and waste program. The incumbent manages a complex 7-day per week service employing pharmacy supervisors, program managers, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians to ensure provision of timely pharmaceutical services. The incumbent formulates policy and procedure in the design and implementation of pharmaceutical care to ensure safety and efficiency. The incumbent performs full range of personnel management duties including interviewing applicants, recommending appointments or advancements, creating schedules, preparing performance appraisals and standards, disciplinary actions, and resolving informal grievances. The incumbent recommends service objectives to the Chief, Pharmacy Service, consistent with patient care needs, the needs of the local facility, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The incumbent manages the programs for the appropriate and cost-effective purchasing of drugs and medical supplies, overseeing and managing the drug budget for the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center and clinics. The incumbent may participate in patient care support as a pharmacist on an ongoing basis (up to 20% of the time). This may include prescription review, processing, preparation, and dispensing in outpatient areas. The incumbent ensures all assigned directives, standard operating procedures, and policies and procedures related to assigned programs are developed, reviewed, and/or revised in a timely manner before expiration or as changes occur. The incumbent demonstrates knowledge of VHA directives, medical center memorandums, policies, and procedures related to pharmaceutical services and thorough knowledge of Pharmacy Service policies, procedures, memorandums, and directives applicable to areas of responsibility. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring adequate competency and training of assigned pharmacy staff including clinical pharmacist and technicians. The incumbent determines staff development needs for formal/informal programs to enhance supervisory staff, program managers, and other assigned personnel's professional capabilities. The incumbent assists with oversight and coordination to patient safety programs including Adverse Drug Event (ADE) program and VA Adverse Drug Event Reporting System (VA ADERS) entries, medication error reporting programs, as well as tracking and trending of errors for performance improvements. The incumbent oversees performance improvement projects and quality assurance measures applicable to outpatient pharmacy service. The incumbent coordinates service participation in Medical Center investigation drug program. This includes participation in protocol development when appropriate, reviewing protocol to determine service impact, and educating professional and pharmacy staff on special handling, requirements, etc. of any approved protocol.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 07:45 A.M.-04:30 P.M.

Compressed/Flexible: Not Available

Telework: Available

Functional Statement #: 61216-F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements 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.

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.

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.

(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.

English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English.

In addition to the basic requirements listed above, the below qualification requirements must be met:

Grade Determination:

GS-14 Associate Service Chief, Operations Experience. Must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that includes: (Must be documented on your resume). Responsible for coordinating multiple programs in pharmacy service in a medical facility. Serving as the Acting Service Chief in the absence of the Service Chief. Develops and maintains a system of internal reviews that ensure service programs operate at a satisfactory level of performance and in compliance with regulatory and accrediting bodies. Extensive responsibility for pharmacy utilization of resources and budget. Making selections, assigns personnel, and serves as a mentor to help employees develop their full potential.

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following Full Performance KSAs:

Ability to negotiate to influence clinical and management decisions.

Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues.

Skill in utilizing regulatory and quality standards to develop and implement operational programs.

Skill in managing multiple people or programs.

Skill in utilizing available resources to support the mission and goals of the organization.

Ability to plan, organize, and direct the functions of the pharmacy staff.

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-14.

Physical Requirements:

Applicants must be able to perform the following duties: lifting (up to 50 lbs); carrying (up to 50 pounds). Applicants must have use of all fingers. Walking or standing for up to 8-hours. Kneeling intermittently multiple times for up to 8-hours. Use of both legs is required. Must possess visual acuity to read typed print. Keen hearing (aids permitted). Mental stability must be required to handle rigors of the position. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated by satisfactory use of prosthesis.

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:

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to