Summary

The pain management, opioid safety, and prescription drug monitoring program (PMOP) Facility Program Manager supports Facility Pain POC/Clinical Leads and coordinates pain management, opioid safety, and prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP)-related initiatives and implementation of VHA and The Joint Commission standards.

Duties

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The Facility PMOP Coordinator will provide professional consultation with the VA medical facility management concerning planning and coordination of the programmatic responsibilities related to policy and services in pain management, opioid safety, and prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). These duties include but are not limited to:

Clinical Services:

• Involved in direct Clinical Pain Care Delivery at their facility, equivalent to at least 20% of their time.
• Collaborates with the VISN PMOP Coordinator, Facility Pain POC, Primary Care (PACT) Pain Champion, Academic Detailers, Pain Management Team/Pain Clinic team members, and other facility stakeholders.
• Conducts OSI reviews, data-based risk reviews for opioid-exposed patients (including Stratification Tool for Opioid Risk Mitigation (STORM) data-based reviews), and other interdisciplinary pain care forums.
• Develops processes/procedures to ensure implementation and compliance with national policy related to pain management, opioid safety, and risk mitigation strategies, Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND), management of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) initiatives in compliance with national policy, clinical practice guidelines, and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborates to evaluate acute pain care prescribing and processes at the facility and leading improvement opportunities.
• Partners with Academic Detailing and other stakeholders to monitor and disseminate best clinical practices related to PMOP initiatives.
• Facilitates facility responses to formal, sensitive inquiries related to pain and opioid safety per patient reported concerns as presented by Patient Advocacy, Executive Leadership, VISN, Congressional, and others.
• Prepares responses to formal inquiries from the PMOP office in collaboration with Facility Pain POC, VISN Pain POC and VISN PMOP coordinator.

Program Management - PMOP Coordinator: The program manager will support facility pain management, opioid safety and the prescription drug monitoring program throughout NWI.

• Supports a highly functioning Pain Committee that includes stakeholders from across the facility, supporting subcommittees, and task forces/workgroups as indicated.
• Reports to the VISN PMOP Coordinator quarterly, with a formal written report at least twice per year describing progress in implementing PMOP office initiatives and status of pain management and opioid safety initiatives and mandates throughout the facility.
• Supports and tracks full implementation of the Stepped Care Model for Pain Management (SCM-PM), including a high functioning PMT/Pain Clinic at the facility, and access to tertiary pain center within the VISN including a CARF-accredited interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation program.
• Facilitates implementation of the OUD stepped care model within the facility, in particular for Step 1 of the Stepped Care for Opioid Use Disorder Train-the-Trainer (SCOUTT) program expansion, e.g., within PMTs/Pain Clinics.
• Identifies opioid safety improvement and risk mitigation opportunities for facility leadership and developing strategic planning efforts in accordance with VA policy, inclusive of, but not limited to PDMP compliance, urine drug screening, and establishing population management processes for targeted risk mitigation.
• Tracks facility level dashboards regarding pain management, opioid safety, and PDMP, including key parameters such as access, productivity, workload, and staffing. Measuring and reporting quality and compliance outcomes related to pain management, opioid safety, and PDMP.

Education:

• Acts as a resource person to members of the pharmacy, medical center, and CBOCs regarding PMOP - related initiatives. They will collaborate with Pharmacy Management on pharmacy - related training and development to promote the learning experience and improve the performance of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy residents, and pharmacy students.
• Participates in the development and implementation of formal and informal pharmacy training in the program assigned for pharmacy staff in the form of in-services, meetings, conferences, and continuing education programs. Assists in the training of pharmacy employees, pharmacy residents and Pharm.D. students as assigned.
• Interfaces with other healthcare providers and administrators to ensure compliance with established pharmacy policies and procedures.
• Provides pharmacy related informatics training and development, to promote the learning experience and improve the performance of providers and pharmacy staff.

Travel throughout the NWI VAHCS is required and the selected applicant will be required to possess a current, valid state-issued Driver's License is required for this position

.Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm

Telework: Ad hoc, may be 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.
• NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Must possess a valid drivers license.
• 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

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 InternetBased 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.
  
  • 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.

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:

Facility Program Manager, GS-13:

• Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12).
  
  • GS-12 level experience includes:
    
    • Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice.
    • Ability to 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.
  
  Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following:
  
  • 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.

Preferred Experience: Completion of an accredited PGY1 Pharmacy and PGY2 Ambulatory Care or Pain Residency -OR- equivalent clinical practice experience managing pain is expected for success in this position. Knowledge of and experience with STORM dashboard/pain-related metrics is highly desirable.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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.