Lead Pharmacist (O-5 Billet) Non-Supervisory

Summary

Lead Pharmacist provides and leads full-scope pharmacy services at an IHSC detention facility, with over 50% clinical duties. Serves as local pharmaceutical SME, dispenses medications, provides patient counseling and medication therapy consultation, manages inventory and controlled substances, supports QA activities, committees, and required training.

This position is only open to USPHS officers and Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates.

Duties

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DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Leads the provision of all on-site pharmaceutical services at the specified detention facility with >50% of time spent on clinical tasks. Pharmaceutical program leadership includes setting the goals, objectives, and direction for the pharmacy program at the assigned facility and leading a team of 1-3 contractor pharmacists and/or pharmacy technicians. Plan and organize their own work, ensure equitably balanced workload among the on-site pharmacy staff members, provide instruction and orientation to pharmacy staff, set and adjust short-term priorities, prepare schedules for completion of work, and provide guidance and mentorship to interdisciplinary junior staff to develop clinical judgement, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
2. Dispense prescription drug orders in accordance with agency formulary and policy and procedures. Provide direct patient care services, including management of acute or chronic conditions, for selected patients when medications are the primary method of treatment. Exercises independent judgment in reviewing patient prescription orders for appropriateness, including drug-drug, drug-disease, and drug-allergy contraindications and precautions. Judgmental failure could seriously affect the health status of one or more individuals.
3. Provides pharmaceutical care services, including drug information, medication therapy consultation, and advice to other health professionals on complex patient problems, at the highest level of independence; utilizes extensive knowledge base and flexibility to adapt to unusual circumstances requiring variations in approach, and in the presence of incomplete or conflicting data.
4. Provide medication counseling and information services directly to patients to ensure that they understand their medications, how to take them, and appropriate outcomes of their drug therapies.
5. Manages pharmaceutical inventory, including maintaining appropriate quantities and temperature requirements and replenishing after-hours and emergency stock, in accordance with IHSC policies and procedures. Conducts monthly inventories of all controlled substances and pharmaceutical sharps (e.g. pre-filled syringes). Inspect all clinic areas where pharmaceuticals are stored.
6. Collaborates with contacts within the Department on a routine basis to coordinate medical care services for patients, as well as to develop and implement processes to improve public and population health.
7. Participates in ongoing quality assurance and performance improvement activities including audits, chart reviews, and development of review criteria.
8. Participates as an active member in one or more institutional committees which may include Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Infection Prevention, Critical Care, or others as designated.
9. On a monthly basis, reports pharmacy workload and expense information, including accomplishments, problems and measures taken for resolution, meetings attended, and facilities visited to the local H.S.A, the respective Regional Chief Pharmacist, and the IHSC Chief Pharmacist.
10. Provides temporary duty (TDY) coverage to IHSC staffed facilities and special missions as needed. All staff must be available for an entire month, or two 16-day periods, each year to support the IHSC TDY On-Call (ITOS) Program.
11. Completes all required agency training.
12. Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must successfully pass a drug screen.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
• Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• Service Remaining Requirement Agreement: Upon appointment to this position, officers will be required to serve an 18 to 24-month commitment to IHSC.
• ASSIGNMENT PAY AGREEMENT: You must not have a current Assignment Pay Agreement. However, if you have a current Assignment Pay Agreement, it must be fulfilled within 90 days of your application submission.
• Applicants must be a current USPHS Commissioned Corps Officer or USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidate.
  Civilians are not eligible for this position.
• Applicants without a USPHS commission must begin the USPHS Commissioned Corps application process before applying to this position. Applicants must review the USPHS application requirements and submit an application at www.usphs.gov/apply-now/.
• Continued employment is contingent upon appointment to, and maintenance of, active-duty status in the USPHS Commissioned Corps.
• PHS officers must participate in IHSC TDY On-Call Schedule (ITOS.) ITOS is either an entire month or two 16-day periods a year where, depending on the needs of the agency, the officer is required to be available to serve.

Qualifications

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

1. The position is located in a hazardous duty environment.
2. Required to walk unaided at a normal pace for up to 5 minutes and maintain balance.
3. Required to jog/fast walk up to ¼ mile.
4. Required to perform CPR/emergency care standing or kneeling.
5. Must have the ability to assist sick, injured or aging patients or staff exiting the building (may require lifting, dragging, wheeling or carrying someone who weighs significantly more than oneself).
6. Must be able to see, hear and smell with aids if necessary.
7. Must easily alternate between kneeling and standing.
8. Must be able to lift, push, or carry 30 pounds.
9. Must perform the duties of my job in a stressful and often austere environment without physical limitations.

Education

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

1. B.S. degree in Pharmacy and eight years of professional experience as a pharmacist or PharmD. degree and two years of professional experience as a pharmacist. Degree must be from a program that is accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education.
2. Candidates must have a permanent, full, and unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a State, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory of the United States.
3. Expertise in pharmacology, pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics and all management aspects related to the practice of pharmacy in a clinic/infirmary setting.
4. Possesses necessary skills for operating general office technology including Microsoft Office products.
5. Possess knowledge of grammar, spelling & punctuation to identify and correct errors to ensure accurate copy.
6. Possesses knowledge of and is competent in understanding and communicating pharmaceutical nomenclature including generic, chemical & trade names, Latin abbreviations, dosage forms, drug strengths, formulations & English-Metric equivalents.
7. Competent in data entry and ability to work with & analyze numbers, including bookkeeping & basic accounting skills.
8. Competent in the use of office machines including photocopiers, calculators, and personal computers.
9. Competent in the application of computer programs to facilitate management operations in a clinic environment.
10. Maintains CPR/BLS certification
11. Possesses ability to work efficiently, accurately & organize in a fast-paced environment.

Additional information

This is a U.S. Public Health Service position within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC), Clinical Services Division, Medical Services Unit, Pharmacy Program. This is a non-supervisory position.

Incumbent serves as the lead pharmacist and is responsible for the provision of a full range of pharmacy services at the assigned facility, including management responsibilities related to the operation of the pharmacy policies and procedures as stated in the ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC) Pharmaceutical Services and Medication Management Directive and Guide. Incumbent serves as the local subject-matter-expert on pharmaceutical care and pharmaceutical delivery systems and collaborates with local and regional clinical and administrative leadership to inform and develop local policies and procedures.

IHSC has a multi-sector, multidisciplinary workforce of over 1650 authorized positions, including U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) commissioned officers, federal civil servants, and contract staff. The IHSC provides on-site direct patient care to ICE detainees at 17 detention facilities throughout the country and manages the provision of off-site medical care for detainees housed in approximately 217 additional Intergovernmental Service Agreement (IGSA) facilities. IHSC provides medical services to more than 171,000 detained aliens housed in the 17 detention facilities and oversees compliance with health-related standards for over 266,000 detained aliens in the 217 non-IHSC staffed facilities. The IHSC also provides medical support during ICE enforcement operations in the air, on the ground and at sea.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:

The Lead Pharmacist works under the direction of the Clinical Director (CD). Assignments of a professional nature are long-term and broadly defined in terms of objectives, priorities, and deadlines. Completed work is only periodically evaluated for technical soundness, appropriateness, and conformity to professional standards and PHS requirements. Procedures for performing some work are established, but the incumbent has significant independence to implement changes to benefit facility operations and detainee health. In cases where IHSC policies and guides are non-specific, the incumbent is required to exercise judgment in the selection and application of appropriate guidelines and originality in developing appropriate solutions.

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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.