Summary

The Facility Program Manager will develop, organize, coordinate and manage the Quality and Research programs at all points of care (inpatient and

outpatient) within the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System including all divisions and their associated community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). The incumbent will work with pharmacy managers and program managers facility wide to ensure program compliance, education of staff and monitoring of quality assurance measures.

Duties

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Major duties Include, but are not limited to the following:

• Program Management - Quality Management: The Facility Program Manager - EHRM Compliance and Research is responsible for developing, coordinating, organizing, and managing the pharmacy quality program with VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health System.
  
  • Maintaining a system of internal reviews that ensure that service programs operate at a satisfactory level of performance and compliance with regulatory and inspecting bodies.
  • Collaborates with NWI pharmacy leadership and other services to coordinate pharmacy service continuous readiness for all regulatory bodies including The Joint Commission, AWE, OIG, VACO, VISN, etc.
  • Assures all NWI pharmacy programs are in full compliance and readiness in regard to all applicable VA regulations, policies, directives, and handbooks.
  • Develops and coordinates operational requirements for NWI Hazardous Chemical Programs and Pharmacy Security.
  • Coordinates and manages pharmacy Emergency Management programs assuring the pharmacies are in a continual state of readiness.
  • Collaborates with professional and technical staff to identify, develop, and implement appropriate quality management outcomes.
  • Working with pharmacy leadership and staff to identify areas of duplication and developing solutions to streamline processes, reduce waste, save costs and improve patient care.
  • Develops and manages the Pharmacy Controlled Substance Program to ensure that the program is operated in a manner consistent with all regulatory requirements.
    
    • Assists Health System personnel with problems and special requests related to controlled substances and interprets Pharmacy Service, facility, DEA, and VA policies and procedures.
    • Responsible for pharmacy quality assurance activity in regard to controlled substances. Works with pharmacy leadership to identify target areas for improvement.
    • Assures all Federal and DEA regulations are followed appropriately in regard to controlled substances within pharmacy service.
    • Develops and updates policies required to properly control accountability and security of controlled substances.
    • Assists in the training and performance evaluations of pharmacy staff who are involved in controlled substance delivery, data-entry/record keeping, etc.
    • Proactively monitors narcotic usage through reports available in VISTA and Pyxis and advises Pharmacy Leadership immediately of concerns about possible theft or diversion.
• Program Management - Research: The Facility Program Manager - EHRM Compliance and Research is responsible for developing, coordinating, organizing, and managing the Pharmacy Research Program within the VA-Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System.
  
  • Actively participate in the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and develops and maintains an active investigational drug program in support of medical and pharmacy research, affiliations and clinical car missions.
  • Serves as a resource and advises potential investigators in the preparation of the Investigational Research Packet for IRB review.
  • Review proposed study protocols prior to IRB consideration. Negotiates and establishes mechanisms which are acceptable to ACOS-Research, Chief of Pharmacy, and the Principle Investigator in order to meet study design criteria.
  • Manages the receipt, storage, dispensing, disposal and record keeping for all investigational drug protocols at the facility.
• Clinical Program Management: The EHRM Compliance and Research Program Manager will provide and support clinical pharmacy services and is directly responsible for monitoring and managing medication therapy for assigned patients.
  
  • Responsible for ambulatory care, acute care, or CLC pharmacy activities involving highly innovative methods of health care delivery.
  • Participates in a patient-focused, team-based multi-disciplinary model of patient centered care to promote positive patient outcomes through direct and indirect interaction with patients and providers.
  • Evaluates appropriateness of pharmacologic therapy at clinic visits or during hospitalizations and as the level of care changes.
  • Provides drug information, observations on patient response to therapy, and develops appropriate recommendations regarding treatment alternatives or additional interventions to maximize patient care outcomes taking into consideration choice of therapy, safety, efficacy, and pharmacoeconomics.
• Pharmacy Program Management: The EHRM Compliance and Research Program Manager will be involved in the independent professional practice of pharmacy in accordance with the guidelines set forth in pharmacy service policies and procedures, VA Regulations, and state and federal laws governing the practice of pharmacy.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:30pm

Telework: Ad-hoc

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 occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.
• 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

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.

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.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.