Associate Chief Pharmacy Service

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.

01Basic Requirements

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

02Education

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 60602-5109; phone: (312) 664-3575, 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 Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT).

03Licensure

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. English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

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).

04Grade Determinations

Associate Service Chief, GS-14 Experience. In addition to the GS-13 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Responsible for coordinating multiple programs in pharmacy service in a medical facility. Serves as the Acting Service Chief in the absence of the Service Chief.

Develops and maintains a system of internal reviews that ensure service programs operate at a satisfactory level of performance and in compliance with regulatory and accrediting bodies. Responsible for pharmacy utilization of resources and budget. Makes selections, assigns personnel, and serves as a mentor to help employees develop their full potential. (NOTE: Associate Service Chief/ Associate CMOP Director positions should be graded one grade below the grade of the Chief of Pharmacy Service or CMOP Director.).

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs: Skill in persuading others and gaining cooperation to accomplish goals. Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues. Skill in utilizing regulatory and quality standards to develop and implement operational programs. Skill in managing multiple and diverse people or programs. Skill in utilizing available resources to support the mission and goals of the organization.

Ability to plan, organize and direct the functions of the pharmacy staff.

05Preferred Experience

Previous supervisory or leadership experience. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G15 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14.

06Physical Requirements

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

The Associate Chief of Pharmacy, Inpatient Pharmacy, provides leadership and oversight for inpatient pharmacy operations at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System. Duties include, but are not limited to: Plans, directs, and evaluates inpatient pharmacy services and maintains responsibility for the clinical, operational, and administrative functions of the inpatient pharmacy.

Manages 24-hour, 7-day-a-week inpatient pharmacy operations, including medication distribution, intravenous admixture services, unit-dose dispensing, automated dispensing cabinets, controlled substances, oncology services, and sterile compounding. Supervises the Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor, Supervisory CSP/USP Program Manager, clinical pharmacy specialists, pharmacy technicians, and trainees.

Develops work schedules, assigns duties, evaluates staffing requirements, and makes emergency staffing assignments to maintain safe and effective pharmacy coverage. Establishes employee performance standards; conducts performance evaluations; assesses competencies; and supports employee training, coaching, development, and accountability.

Participates in personnel management activities, including recruitment, selection, onboarding, employee development, and recommendations regarding promotion, recognition, corrective action, and disciplinary action. Ensures timely and accurate medication preparation and distribution and promotes compliance with applicable laws, regulations, VA policies, accreditation requirements, and professional standards.

Oversees sterile compounding operations and associated quality assurance activities, including environmental and personnel monitoring. Oversees inpatient clinical pharmacy programs, including parenteral nutrition, pharmacokinetics, renal dose adjustment, anticoagulation, oncology, medication security and storage, repackaging, and automated medication distribution.

Collaborates with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals to resolve medication-related concerns and provide recommendations regarding medication selection, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, formulary requirements, and therapeutic alternatives. Develops, implements, evaluates, and revises policies, procedures, clinical programs, and operational processes to improve medication safety, efficiency, and patient outcomes.

• Monitors workload, expenditures, staffing, inventory, and resource utilization to ensure appropriate accountability and support effective pharmacy operations.
• Ensures appropriate storage, security, inventory, inspection, and documentation of controlled substances and medications throughout assigned patient-care areas.
• Leads or participates in medication safety, quality assurance, performance improvement, drug-use evaluation, and regulatory-readiness activities.

Provides orientation, education, and training to pharmacy personnel, residents, students, interns, and other healthcare staff regarding inpatient pharmacy services, medication systems, and applicable procedures. Supports pharmacy residency and experiential-training programs and serves as a professional and administrative pharmacy resource.

Participates in medical center committees and interdisciplinary workgroups related to medication management, patient safety, pharmacy operations, and quality improvement Assumes designated responsibilities of the Chief of Pharmacy Service during absences and assists other areas of Pharmacy Service when operationally necessary. Work Schedule Full-time, Monday-Friday. May include occasional evenings, weekends, or holidays based on operational needs. Takes on call on a rotational basis.

Preferred Experience/Qualifications Pharmacy operations leadership or management experience Board certification (e.g., BCPS, BCCCP) Experience with VA pharmacy systems and automation (e.g., Pyxis, BCMA) Strong leadership, communication, and team-building skills Experience with investigational drug, sterile compounding oversight, and quality assurance programs Knowledge of age-specific care for adult and geriatric populations