Summary

The Facility Program Manager- Medication Safety Officer (MSO) promotes the culture of a High Reliability Organization with a focus on reporting, collecting data and continuously improving processes for medication safety. They must be a licensed pharmacist, preferably with a Pharm.D. or equivalent experience. The incumbent will be fully credentialed through VetPro and will function at the highest level of clinical practice working independently based on their scope of practice.

Duties

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The Facility Program Manager - MSO will develop, organize, coordinate and manage the Medication Safety program at all points of care (inpatient and outpatient) within the Iowa City VA Health Care System (ICVAHCS) including all divisions and associated community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). Travel to ICVAHCS facilities may be necessary to ensure program compliance, education of staff and monitoring of quality assurance measures. The position requires extensive knowledge and skill in using medication safety databases for patient safety analysis. The MSO may also function in the pharmacy to meet patient care needs. The MSO position is a non-bargaining unit position and will be classified as a member of the pharmacy management team.

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES:

A. Program Management - Medication Safety: The MSO plans, coordinates, and manages all pharmacy aspects of medication safety and works closely with ICVAHCS Patient Safety staff and clinical leadership to improve medication use systems. Activities include:

1. Managing data collection, analysis, and review of medication safety events and practices including reporting of adverse events in JPSR and adverse drug reactions in VA ADERS.

2. Reviewing and assessing compliance with VHA Directives/Handbooks, USP, FDA, DEA, AWE, OIG and The Joint Commission standards and assisting with the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure compliance.

3. Works with ICVAHCS Patient Safety to analyze, categorize and triage incoming JPSR reports to the facility. This will require Patient Safety level access to the system.

4. Advises Patient Safety Managers on medication safety related events as needed for Tier 4 huddle. Meets with Medical Center Director, Patient Safety Managers, and Chief Resident of Quality once monthly to review high-level medication safety program topics.

5. Serves as the main pharmacy point of contact for pharmacy medication related JPSR event reports. Investigates and uploads reviews into the JPSR system.

B. Program Management - Medication Safety Subcommittee: The MSO will serve as the Chair of the Medication Safety Subcommittee, which aligns under the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee. Activities include:

1. Preparing agendas and ensuring accurate minutes are taken. This includes preparing data from the JPSR system.

2. Proctoring the multi-disciplinary meetings.

3. Managing and maintaining associated databases.

4. Serving as the lead for the annual Medication Aggregate RCA review to identify opportunities for medication management and medication safety processes improvement and to present findings to ELT and Pharmacy leadership.

C. Program Management - Adverse Drug Event Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting: The MSO will serve as the pharmacy management POC for the ADE program. Activities include:

1. Performs ongoing chart reviews to validate reported ADEs associated with drug/drug, drug/food, drug/disease interactions and allergic reactions.

2. Reviews, analyzes and reports all ADE reports involving medication management.

3. Ensures medication events are appropriately reported to the required bodies.

4. Upon review and analysis, ensures ADEs are accurately entered into the VA ADERs database.

D. Administrative Program Services - Drug Recalls and Waste Management: The MSO will administratively manage the drug recall and waste management programs within the pharmacy department on behalf of the Chief of Pharmacy. Activities include:

1. Assisting with the management of the VA Alerts & Recalls system across all ICVAHCS campuses and is responsible for entering ICVAHCS recall information into the VA Alerts & Recalls system.

2. Assists supervisors in the development and implementation of pharmacy processes in response to recalls and patient safety alerts.

3. Ensures timely responses to product and patient level recalls, safety alerts and action items.

4. Assists in coordination of efforts to follow initiatives associated with Green Environmental Management (GEMS) and pharmaceutical waste management as needed.

E. Education:

1. Collaborates with Pharmacy management and Patient Safety on pharmacy related training and development, to promote the learning experience and improve the performance of providers, nursing, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy residents, medical residents and students.

2. Participates in the development and implementation of formal and informal drug education/clinical consultation to medical, surgical, nursing, and pharmacy staff in the form of in-services and continuing education programs.

3. Interfaces with other health-care providers and administrators to ensure compliance with established pharmacy policies and procedures.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday through Friday, 07:30am - 4:00pm

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not 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

All requirements must be met at the time of the announcement closing.

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 as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
• 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.
  
  • Exception. Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. a7 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. For grade levels above the GS-11, the candidate must be licensed.

NOTE: Individuals who have or have had multiple licenses and had any such license revoked for professional misconduct, professional incompetence or substandard care, or who surrendered such license after receiving written notice of potential termination of such license by the State for professional misconduct, professional incompetence, or substandard care, are not eligible for appointment to the position unless such revoked or surrendered license is fully restored (38 U.S.C. a7 7402(f)). Effective November 30, 1999, this is a requirement for employment. This requirement does not apply to licensed pharmacists on VA rolls as of that date, provided they maintain continuous appointment and are not disqualified for employment by any subsequent revocations or voluntary surrenders of State license, registration or certification.

1. Failure to Obtain License. In all cases, pharmacists must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the unlicensed pharmacist with the written requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. Failure to become licensed within 2 years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0660 Pharmacist series and may result in termination of employment.

• 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.

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:

GS-13 Facility Program Manager

• Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-12. The GS-12 requirements include:
  
  • Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
  • Communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff.
  • Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security.
  • Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters. AND
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
  • Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
  • Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
  • Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
  • Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Creditable Experience:

(1) Knowledge of Professional Pharmacy Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with professional pharmacy practice. Professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional or unlicensed graduate pharmacist as defined by the appropriate licensing board.

(2) Residency and Fellowship Training. Residency and fellowship training programs in a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for- year basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists (ASHP). A fellowship program that is not accredited by the American College of Clinic