Pharmacist (Associate Service Chief)

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. 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 60602-5109; phone: (312) 664-3575, or through their website at: ACPE. (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) 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. 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. § 7402(/)). 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. Failure to Obtain License. In all cases, pharmacists must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for Iicensure 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 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). Grade Determination: Associate Service Chief, GS-14 Experience. In addition to GS-12 grade requirements, you must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13). NOTE: To qualify for this position, you must have at least 2 years of experience gained while having a full, unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a U.S. State or Territory (one year equivalent to the GS-13 level and one equivalent to the GS-12 level). A full, unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in a U.S. State or Territory is a requirement to be appointed to the position of Pharmacist at the GS-12 level within VA. GS-13 Assignments: Examples of assignments equivalent to the GS-13 level include experience as an Associate Service (Department) Chief, an Associate Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP) Director, a Pharmacy Supervisor, a Facility Program Manager, or a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. GS-12 Assignment: The Full Performance Level Pharmacist independently handles routine medication-related activities. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs: (1) Skill in persuading others and gaining cooperation to accomplish goals. (2) Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues. (3) Skill in utilizing regulatory and quality standards to develop and implement operational programs. (4) Skill in managing multiple and diverse people or programs. (5) Skill in utilizing available resources to support the mission and goals of the organization. (6) Ability to plan, organize and direct the functions of the pharmacy staff. Preferred Experience: Two to three years in a leadership role managing and coordinating comprehensive pharmaceutical care activities in multiple clinics Two to three years of experience designing, developing, implementing, maintaining, and assessing effective educational programs for the pharmacy staff and residents Three years of clinical pharmacy experience with direct patient care in disease management Board of Pharmacy Specialty Certification PGY-1 Residency training or higher Two to three years of exceptional customer service and ability to resolve conflicts and dispute between employees or customers and employees 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-14. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting/carrying (15-44 pounds), straight pulling (1 hour), pushing (2 hours), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, walking (4 hours), standing (8 hours), repeated bending (1 hour), ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, 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, ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish basic shades of color, hearing (aid permitted).
The Associate Service Chief of Pharmacy for Clinical Programs is responsible for managing and coordinating comprehensive pharmaceutical care activities in a clinical setting for veterans within the El Paso VA Health Care System (EPVAHCS). This position assists the Chief Pharmacist in the performance of all duties and responsibilities described in the Chiefs functional statement, sharing responsibility for those functions, and taking them over in the absence of the Chief Pharmacist.