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 (one to five 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

Help

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

The Pharmacy Program Manager (Pharmacoeconomics/Formulary Management) is responsible for leading and coordinating pharmacoeconomic programs, formulary management activities, and cost-containment initiatives across VA North Texas. Their scope spans Program Management, Administrative & Quality Assurance, Research & Education, Clinical Practice, and Communication.

A. Program Management

• Leads cost-containment strategies, formulary maintenance, drug utilization reviews, and pharmacoeconomic research.
• Evaluates new medications for budget impact and formulary considerations.
• Oversees cost-efficient use of high-cost or high-risk medications and may serve as approval authority.
• Conducts drug use evaluations, tracks KPIs, analyzes trends, and implements improvement plans.
• Manages Prior Authorization Drug Requests, therapeutic interchange activities, formulary reviews, and formulary change processes.
• Develops medication criteria for use and tools to measure outcomes of formulary and pharmacoeconomic interventions.
• Collaborates on drug shortages, recalls, adverse drug event monitoring, and REMS activities.

B. Administrative and Quality Assurance

• Performs data analytics using tools such as SQL, Power BI, Pyramid, and Excel.
• Maintains pharmacoeconomic resources and references.
• Participates in quality improvement initiatives, policy development, and P&T Committee activities (facility and VISN).
• Ensures drug file accuracy and provides consultation on drug procurement, cost analysis, and patient care.
• Documents cost-avoidance activities and supports performance measure achievement.

C. Research and Education

• Supports trainee education and provides preceptorship in pharmacoeconomics and research.
• Coordinates clinical research, outcomes studies, and real-world evidence assessments.
• Educates staff and providers on formulary management, guidelines, and cost-effective drug use.
• Contributes to VISN and national PBM research and drug utilization evaluation initiatives.
• Completes required training and supports staff development.

D. Clinical

• Reviews medication regimens for safety, effectiveness, dosing, interactions, and therapeutic outcomes.
• Monitors and reports drug errors, adverse reactions, allergies, and compliance.
• Applies laboratory interpretation skills for dose adjustments and patient assessment.
• Monitors high-risk and high-cost medication use and formulary adherence using dashboards.
• Identifies misuse, inappropriate dosing, duplications, interactions, suboptimal response, and deprescribing opportunities.
• Provides cost-effective therapeutic recommendations and pharmacokinetic guidance.
• Serves as a drug information resource and documents clinical interventions.

E. Communication

• Maintains effective relationships with providers, nursing staff, and other departments.
• Serves as an authoritative resource to resolve medication-related questions and ensures positive communication experiences.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, between 7am- 5pm /8 hour work schedule); Tour may be adjusted or extended to meet patient care needs.

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 55490F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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

Requirements

Help

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.
• 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.

HPTs who are on track to graduate/complete the requirements should respond as if they have met the requirements. Provide details in the narrative sections of the assessment.

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. 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. (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.)
• 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.

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).

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.

Assignments. Candidates at this grade level are to be in one of the assignments listed below. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

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.

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 6 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 KSAs identified in subparagraph 3b(3)(b)1 above.

Preferred Experience:

• PGY1 and/or PGY2 Residency Training (specific to formulary management, cost analysis, data).
• Ability to manage formulary and ensure appropriateness.
• Ability to monitor/manage medication cost savings initiatives.

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.

Physical Requirements: Must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the duties of the position. Working closely with others. Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds. Straight pulling (1 hour) and pushing (2 hours). Reaching above shoulder required. Use of fingers and both hands required. Walking (up to 8 hours) and standing (up to 8 hours) required. Near vision correctable at 13' to 16' to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other permitted. Ability to distinguish basic color and ability to distinguish shades of colors required. Hearing (aid permitted).

Education

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/.

Accreditation Information: Please site specific the accreditation information from the qualification standards or use the generic descripti