Summary

Position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

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Functions as an Associate to the Chief of Pharmacy, responsible for coordinating multiple programs within the pharmacy service, including planning, directing, evaluating, and coordinating comprehensive Pharmacy services such as inpatient operations and inpatient clinical pharmacy. The incompent may also provide oversight of other program areas as defined by the Chief of Pharmacy within the Orlando VA Healthcare System (OVAHCS). This position ensures operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, regulatory compliance, and optimal resource utilization across assigned program areas, and serves as a key advisor and resource to Pharmacy Service Leadership and the Medical Center executive team.

Executive & Administrative Leadership:

• Serves as a resource to the Chief of Pharmacy, Deputy Chief of Staff, Chief of Staff, and Medical Center Director on matter related to pharmacy operations, policy, and practice.
• Represents Pharmacy Service on advisory teams, boards, and committees at the Medical Center, Health System Area (HSA), regional (VISN) and national levels as needed.
• Serves as Acting Chief of Pharmacy in the absence of the Service Chief, assuming full responsibility for the functions and activities of all Sections and Divisions of the Pharmacy Service during that time.
• Ensures optimum efficiency and effectiveness of numerous, complex, and integrated programs administered or overseen by Pharmacy Service.

Inpatient Pharmacy Operations Management:

• Plans, directs, and coordinates day-to-day inpatient clinical and pharmacy operations, including medication distribution, sterile and non-sterile compounding, controlled substance management, automated dispensing systems, and 24/7 staffing coverage.
• Established and monitors performance metrics, workflow standards, and turnaround-time benchmarks for inpatient dispensing and clinical services.
• Ensure compliance with USP , , , Joint commission standards, VHA directives, other applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements.
• Oversees medication safety initiatives, including error reporting, root cause analysis, and implementation of process improvements to reduce adverse drug events.
• Coordinates inventory management, drug procurement, formulary compliance, and shortage mitigations strategies with the procurement supervisor for inpatient units.???????

Inpatient Clinical Pharmacy Program Oversight:

• Directs and evaluates inpatient clinical pharmacy services, including pharmacist participation in interdisciplinary rounds, anticoagulation management, antimicrobial stewardship, pain management, renal/hepatic dosing, in addition to other inpatient clinical pharmacy areas.
• Directly assists clinicians in rational drug selection by providing written and/or verbal consultation.
• ??Verifies provider prescriptions/orders for completeness and appropriateness; screens for compatibility, patient allergies, dose adjustments, contraindications, and drug interactions.
• Assures all prescription and orders meet proper eligibility criteria on aa patient specific basis, and the national formulary, prior authorization, criteria for use, treatment algorithms, and clinical guidelines are followed.
• Promotes expansion of clinical initiatives within the inpatient setting.

Resource & Personnel Management:

• Manages and optimally uses all resources entrusted to the Pharmacy Service to include budget, personnel, equipment, and space.
• Identified when additional resources (staffing, equipment, space) are needed and navigates the request/approval process after obtaining Chief of Pharmacy approval.
• Identifies staff continuing education and competency needs; develops and provides training opportunities to continually build and sustain practice skills.
• Supervises, mentors, and evaluates pharmacy staff performance; participates in hiring, disciplinary actions, and professional development processes as delegated.
• Fosters a culture of safety, accounability, teamwork, and continuous quality improvement within the Pharmacy Service.
• Other duties as assigned

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 9am to 5:30pm, Employees may be required to work days, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays and/or compressed, tours on rotating schedule. The hours may vary per the needs of the service and will rotate, on a fair and equitable basis, to include weekends and holidays.

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 80357F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [redacted], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): May be Authorized

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.
• 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

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.
• English Language Proficiency. Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15.
• 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 [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.)
  • (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. All applicants must possess a 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.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.Associate Service ChiefGS-14:

• Experience. In addition to the GS-13 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• Associate Service Chief/ Associate CMOP Director. 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.)
• Demonstrated KSAs. The KSAs shown below apply to all assignments at this grade level.
  
  
  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 people or programs.
  5. Skill in utilizing available resources to support the mission and goals of the organization.
  6. Ability to plan, organize and direct the functions of the pharmacy staff.

References: 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: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical of the occupation. May be required to wear personal protective equipment to undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. The incumbent must satisfactorily complete a pre-employment physical to include moderate lifting (15-44 pounds), light carrying 15 lbs or less, straight pulling, reaching above the shoulder with the use of both hands and fingers, ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors, which is required for this position

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

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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 benefi