Summary

This Chief position is located within Pharmacy Service at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, located in Detroit, MI and works independently under the Deputy Chief of Staff or designee, keeping them apprised of trends and/or problems associated with Pharmacy Service operations. The Detroit VAMC is a Level 1b Complexity facility.

Qualifications

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until May 7, 2025 The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be February 14, 2025, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. 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
• 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
• 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
• 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-15 (a) Experience
• In addition to the GS-14 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.(b) Grade Level Criteria
• At the GS-15 level, Chiefs of Pharmacy must meet the following: 1
• Individuals are assigned as Chiefs of Pharmacy at Complexity Level 1a, 1b or 1c VHA facilities
• or 2
• Individuals are assigned as Chief of Pharmacy at Complexity Levels 2 or 3 and must meet the criteria noted in 2a and b below: a
• Must meet all of the following requirements: (1) Manages a complex medical center based pharmacy program that is defined as having multiple practice settings (e.g
• hospital ambulatory care, long-term care, behavior health care) that require Joint Commission review as separate standards
• (2) In addition to the medical center pharmacy, has responsibility for pharmacy services at one or more of the following: CBOCs, Rural Health Program, domiciliary, or provides dispensing and/or clinical services to State Veterans Home
• (3) Presence of advanced clinical pharmacy programs that include pharmacist(s) that have approved scopes of practice with prescriptive privileges
• (4) Pharmacy provides clinical pharmacist services to three (3) or more specialty areas such as, but not limited to, hemodialysis, oncology, operating room or an emergency department
• b
• In addition to the requirements listed in 2a above, must meet at least two of the following: (1) An ASHP Accredited Pharmacy Residency Program
• (2) A Research Program that is accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP)
• (3) Actively involved in committees or advisory/work groups at the VISN and/or National level
• (4) An ongoing pharmacy student rotation in both the intermediate and advanced practice experience settings
• Must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1
• Skill in persuading others and gaining cooperation to accomplish goals
• 2
• Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues
• 3
• Skill in utilizing regulatory and quality standards to develop and implement operational programs
• 4
• Skill in managing multiple and diverse or programs
• *5
• Skill in utilizing available resources to support the missions and goals of the organization
• *6
• 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/
• Physical Requirements: Some of the work involves extended periods of time standing, sitting or doing computer work
• Duties regularly involve lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 40 pounds, lifting to stock shelves, bending/stooping, and walking to various parts of the Medical Center grounds which may involve some minor exertion
• Endurance of very stressful periods may be required due to uncontrollable workload demands
• This position requires average agility and dexterity
• Professional appearances per pharmacy dress code, attitude and demeanor are required.

Duties

• Duties may include but not limited to: Management Functions Represents the Detroit VAMC Pharmacy Service in the community and in the Medical Center through membership on various standing and ADHOC committees
• Responsible for all aspects of pharmacy services at the medical facility by maintaining effective interdepartmental relationships demonstrating active problem resolution skills and close cooperation with other programs and services in accomplishing the medical facility mission and goals
• Responsible for budget management, determining resource needs, allocating resources, ensuring proper utilization in productivity, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of the operation
• Formulates objectives, priorities and implements plans consistent with the long-term interest of the organization, capitalizing on opportunities and managing risks
• Responsible for compliance with all safety, regulatory and accrediting body requirements
• Delegates authority to several supervisory and program levels to meet the goals of the service and staff
• Administrative/Supervision Functions Interviews non-professional employee candidates and makes selections for vacancies
• Interviews professional employee candidates, recommends appointments, advancements, promotions, or disciplinary actions as appropriate
• Manages the day-to-day operation of the Pharmacy Service by directing the supervisors of the inpatient, outpatient, clinical and support sections
• Assists in developing performance standards for the supervisors and evaluate their performance
• Review and approve section supervisor evaluations of subordinate staff members
• Prepares, projects, and justifies the budgetary, personnel, equipment, and space requirements of the Pharmacy Service consistent with the continually expanding operations and services
• Responsible for the fiscal allocation of the cost centers for Pharmacy service and must maintain accurate accountability for the medical subaccounts for drugs, medical supplies, and other supplies within the cost centers
• Initiates in-depth budget plans and projections with justifications
• Maintains liaison with Fiscal Service to assure that adequate funds are available for essential drug needs
• Establishes program goals and develops the operational plans and policies to achieve them
• Hears and resolves complaints, hears group grievances, serious employee complaints and ones not resolved by the section supervisors
• recommends required punitive disciplinary measures/actions
• Clinical Function (Non-Direct Patient Care) Develops and maintains effective clinical pharmacy programs from a cost effective and patient outcome perspective
• Provides a wide range of complex pharmaceutical services, which are concerned with the preparation, distribution and monitoring of medical products for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease
• Provide expertise in drug interactions and incompatibilities, through consultation with physicians, nurses and patients
• Originate and maintain procedures and methods for the correct selecting, compounding, packaging, and dispensing of al therapeutic and diagnostic agents for both inpatient and outpatient care
• Functions as a voting member of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee and carries out the responsibilities involved in implementing the decisions of the Committee
• Provide drug information services for the professional staff of the Medical Center
• Education/Research/Development Functions Identifies continuing education needs based on performance of all subordinate staff
• Responsible for conducting concurrent, retrospective, and prospective drug use evaluations in an effort to assure good patient care and positive patient outcomes
• Responsible for planning and coordinating training activities for Pharmacy Technicians
• Responsible for the presentation of information to the medical staff that cover such areas as drug action and interaction, drug dosage, prescription writing, generic name and metric system prescribing, adverse drug reactions and their reporting, entire pharmacological classes of drugs, etc
• Program Management Functions Manages and ensures optimum utilization of all resources (personnel, fiscal, equipment, space, etc.) available to the pharmacy
• Manages and ensures optimum efficiency and effectiveness of the numerous, complex, and comprehensive programs administered by the Pharmacy Service
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 93200 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized