Summary

This 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 (1 to 5 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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The Program Manager manages all components of Procurement, Inventory Management, and pharmaceutical destruction operations for Overton Brooks VA Medical Center (OBVAMC). This includes compliance oversight of all pharmacists, technicians, trainees, and other supportive personnel involved in procurement, inventory management, destruction, and All-Hazards Emergency CACHE (AHEC) Management.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Utilize strict accounting practices to maintain an accurate budget. Provide upper management with quarterly, monthly, and often daily updates on budget status. Maintain sufficient inventory for the needs of the Medical Center yet not exceeding budget allowance.
• Presents upper management on a routine basis: expenditure reports, cost analysis, stock usage, budget forecast, drug shortages, drug recalls and new product cost impact.
• Purchase card holder and complies with all the acquisition regulations, both Federal, VA and local to include small business and mandatory sources. Makes individual purchases not to exceed maximum (i.e., $10,000) unless specifically authorized to do so by Organization Program Coordinator (authorizing official) Manager. Reconciles purchase card charges within the established time limits.
• Resolves disputes of unknown or incorrect charges also within the established time limits. Cardholders must leave all charges reconciled prior to taking annual leave or traveling for more than 7 calendar days.
• Functions as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and prepares contracting requests for Pharmacy Service Provide direct oversight for the accountability of expired or soon-to-expire medications held for destruction and/or return distribution.
• Maintains a running inventory list of non-controls for tracking purchases to be used in reconciliation of invoices to maximize revenues received through credits.
• Uses clinical judgement in considering cost-effective alternatives within the National Formulary for drug shortages due to backorders or recalls. Collaborate with providers in the respective specialties to determine alternatives for items on long term shortage.
• Coordinates medication conversions to comply with local, VISN, and National contracts or approved formulary substitutions.
• Regularly document cost reduction/cost avoidance activities and reports finding to P&T and/or Chief of Service for review as appropriately.
• Oversees the receiving and verifying of correct shipment of pharmaceuticals.
• Ensures yearly VA inventory and biennial DEA inventories are complete in accordance with requirements.
• Serves as the Pharmacy Cache Manager to ensure inventory is maintained, secured, and appropriately stocked for emergency situations. Is responsible for ensuring all requirements for the AHEC management are completed and met.
• Develops and updates policies and procedures defining operational requirements of the section.
• Oversee purchases of medications from Prime Vendor daily. Determine status of medications to be purchased and exercise judgment as to contract availability, generic substitution, bottle or package size, most cost-effective source, as well as consideration of quantity and quality of product. Items not authorized through Prime Vendor must be procured in a timely manner from another identified source.
• Ensures that the Pharmacy Service is following all procedures in VA controlled substance directives, including VHA Handbook 1180.01 and 1108.02, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), in addition to all Medical and Service policies governing the purchasing, ordering, secure storage, dispensing, administrative, and distribution of controlled substances.
• Serves as liaison between company representatives and pharmacy staff as needed.
• Oversees the maintenance of stock is in an orderly and clean work environment, determines ordering needs and labeling of the shelf with bar coded labels.
• Coordinates drug recall and out of date drug disposition.
• Assures correct storage requirement of pharmaceuticals and put away as soon after its receipt as possible.
• Maintains documentation of borrow/loan actions with other institutions in the area.
• Provides the necessary technical knowledge and assistance as required to support pharmacy operations.
• Exchange ideas, assist, and provide support as a team player with the pharmacy staff and actively seek and maintain face-to-face contact in the usual work areas with other members of Pharmacy Service.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:30pm; weekends, holidays, and hours outside of tour of duty, subject to change based on the needs of the facility.

Telework: Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 01075F

Relocation Incentives: Not Authorized

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

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

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 as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• 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. 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.
  
  • (1) 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. § 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.
  • (2) 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.

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:

Grade Determinations:GS-13 Pharmacist Facility Program Manager:

Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

Facility Program Manager. Manages all aspects of a distinct program to include policy development, quality resources and specialty functions unique to the program to optimize cost effectiveness (budget) and patient outcomes. Coordinates a single program area of a complex pharmacy operation, or multiple program areas within a facility to develop, organize, manage, and control complex pharmacy programs. Develops, organizes, coordinates and manages single or multiple program areas within the medical facility; this may include a single program area at multiple facilities. The Program Manager title is reserved for those individuals who have one or more of the following: supervisory responsibilities for various sections within Pharmacy Service; a complex program requiring coordination of multiple locations such as medical center care facilities, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), rural health, telemedicine, etc; specialized areas of a complex nature such as nuclear pharmacy, quality assurance, pharmacy informatics, clinical applications coordinator, Home Based Primary Care, pharmacoeconomist or liaison pharmacist duties requiring the coordination of processes with other medical facilities or VISNs.

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs:

a. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.

b. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.

c. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.

d. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.

e. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: Demonstrates knowledge and experience in pharmacy operations, including but not limited to inventory management, medication storage, inventory turns, and Pharmacoeconomics.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS13.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

Additional information

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume