Associate Chief Pharmacy Service

Summary

The VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS) is seeking a highly motivated and experienced pharmacist to serve as the Associate Chief of Inpatient Pharmacy. This leadership role is responsible for managing inpatient pharmacy operations at a 120-bed tertiary care facility, which includes acute medical/surgical, psychiatric, and long-term care services. The Associate Chief plays a critical role in ensuring safe, effective, and efficient medication use across the continuum of inpatient care.

Duties

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The Associate Chief of Pharmacy, Inpatient Pharmacy, provides leadership and oversight for inpatient pharmacy operations at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Plans, directs, and evaluates inpatient pharmacy services and maintains responsibility for the clinical, operational, and administrative functions of the inpatient pharmacy.
• Manages 24-hour, 7-day-a-week inpatient pharmacy operations, including medication distribution, intravenous admixture services, unit-dose dispensing, automated dispensing cabinets, controlled substances, oncology services, and sterile compounding.
• Supervises the Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor, Supervisory CSP/USP Program Manager, clinical pharmacy specialists, pharmacy technicians, and trainees.
• Develops work schedules, assigns duties, evaluates staffing requirements, and makes emergency staffing assignments to maintain safe and effective pharmacy coverage.
• Establishes employee performance standards; conducts performance evaluations; assesses competencies; and supports employee training, coaching, development, and accountability.
• Participates in personnel management activities, including recruitment, selection, onboarding, employee development, and recommendations regarding promotion, recognition, corrective action, and disciplinary action.
• Ensures timely and accurate medication preparation and distribution and promotes compliance with applicable laws, regulations, VA policies, accreditation requirements, and professional standards.
• Oversees sterile compounding operations and associated quality assurance activities, including environmental and personnel monitoring.
• Oversees inpatient clinical pharmacy programs, including parenteral nutrition, pharmacokinetics, renal dose adjustment, anticoagulation, oncology, medication security and storage, repackaging, and automated medication distribution.
• Collaborates with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals to resolve medication-related concerns and provide recommendations regarding medication selection, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, formulary requirements, and therapeutic alternatives.
• Develops, implements, evaluates, and revises policies, procedures, clinical programs, and operational processes to improve medication safety, efficiency, and patient outcomes.
• Monitors workload, expenditures, staffing, inventory, and resource utilization to ensure appropriate accountability and support effective pharmacy operations.
• Ensures appropriate storage, security, inventory, inspection, and documentation of controlled substances and medications throughout assigned patient-care areas.
• Leads or participates in medication safety, quality assurance, performance improvement, drug-use evaluation, and regulatory-readiness activities.
• Provides orientation, education, and training to pharmacy personnel, residents, students, interns, and other healthcare staff regarding inpatient pharmacy services, medication systems, and applicable procedures.
• Supports pharmacy residency and experiential-training programs and serves as a professional and administrative pharmacy resource.
• Participates in medical center committees and interdisciplinary workgroups related to medication management, patient safety, pharmacy operations, and quality improvement
• Assumes designated responsibilities of the Chief of Pharmacy Service during absences and assists other areas of Pharmacy Service when operationally necessary.

Work Schedule

Full-time, Monday-Friday. May include occasional evenings, weekends, or holidays based on operational needs. Takes on call on a rotational basis.

Preferred Experience/Qualifications

• Pharmacy operations leadership or management experience
• Board certification (e.g., BCPS, BCCCP)
• Experience with VA pharmacy systems and automation (e.g., Pyxis, BCMA)
• Strong leadership, communication, and team-building skills
• Experience with investigational drug, sterile compounding oversight, and quality assurance programs
• Knowledge of age-specific care for adult and geriatric populations

Requirements

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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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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.
• 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 [redacted]; phone: [redacted], 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.)
  • 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).

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).

Grade Determinations: Associate Service Chief, GS-14

• Experience. In addition to the GS-13 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Responsible for coordinating multiple programs in pharmacy service in a medical facility. Serves 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. Responsible for pharmacy utilization of resources and budget. Makes selections, assigns personnel, and serves as a mentor to help employees develop their full potential. (NOTE: Associate Service Chief/ Associate CMOP Director positions should be graded one grade below the grade of the Chief of Pharmacy Service or CMOP Director.). Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  
  • Skill in persuading others and gaining cooperation to accomplish goals.
  • 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 and diverse 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.

Preferred Experience: Previous supervisory or leadership experience.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.