Clinical Pharmacist-Associate Service Chief

The Associate Chief of Clinical Pharmacy provides executive leadership and oversight of medication management systems, regulatory compliance, and clinical operations. The role directs development of medication use processes, guides credentialing and research pharmacy functions, ensures organizational readiness, and demonstrates strong strategic, supervisory, and collaborative leadership.

Qualifications:

Basic Requirements :

a. Citizenship .

United States Citizenship:

Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. b. 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 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.) (2) Graduates of foreign pharmacy degree programs meet the educational requirement if the 2 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). c. 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. d. English Language Proficiency . Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).

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(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 Creditable Experience (1) Knowledge of Professional Pharmacy Practices . To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with professional pharmacy practice. Professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional or unlicensed graduate pharmacist as defined by the appropriate licensing board. (2) Residency and Fellowship Training . Residency and fellowship training programs in a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for- year basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists (ASHP). A fellowship program that is not accredited by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) will need to have comparable standards for experience to be creditable (Professional Standards Board refers to the Deputy Chief Consultant for Professional Practice for the determination). (3) Quality of Experience . Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to pharmacy experience at the next lower level. Experience as a Graduate Pharmacist is creditable provided the candidate was used as a professional pharmacist (under supervision) and subsequently passed the appropriate licensure examination. (4) Part-time Experience . Part-time experience as a professional pharmacist is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a pharmacist employed 20 4 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service. Experience . In addition to the GS-13 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Demonstrated KSAs . The KSAs shown below apply to all assignments at this grade level. 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 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:

Minimum 3-5 years of progressive clinical pharmacy leadership experience. Includes formal supervisory roles, program management, or oversight of multidisciplinary clinical pharmacy services. Experience leading Clinical Pharmacy Practice Models within ambulatory care or PACT/Primary Care settings Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, or evaluate pharmacist-run clinics or team-based care programs. Advanced training or board certification in a relevant specialty.

Examples:

BCACP, BCPS, BCPP, BC-ADM, or equivalent clinical certification reflecting advanced practice competency. Experience managing clinical pharmacy metrics, quality programs, and performance improvement initiatives. Familiarity with eQMs, HEDIS-like measures, access and utilization metrics, and data-driven workflow optimization. Demonstrated success working with diverse and rural Veteran populations, including Pacific Island communities Ability to navigate health disparities, limited-resource environments, and culturally-informed care delivery.

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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14.

Physical Requirements:

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.