Clinical Pharmacist- Associate Service Chief

The Pharmacy Associate Service Chief is responsible for cultivating the effective, efficient, and compliant delivery of comprehensive pharmaceutical care activities in the ambulatory and inpatient care settings at the Baltimore, Loch Raven, or Perry Point Division of the VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS).

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:

(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 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. 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). Grandfathering Provision. All licensed pharmacists employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Employees grandfathered into the GS-660 occupational series may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration, that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If a licensed pharmacist who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS.

In addition to the basic requirements for appointment, the following criteria must be used when determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates: GS-14 Clinical Pharmacist

• Associate Service Chief In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must have at least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13), directly related to the position being filled that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level.

Examples include but are not limited to: a. Ability to negotiate to influence clinical and management decisions. b. Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues. c. Skill in utilizing regulatory and quality standards to develop and implement operational programs d. Skill in managing multiple people or programs. e. Skill in utilizing available resources to support the mission and goals of the organization. f. Ability to plan, organize, and direct the functions of the pharmacy staff. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs and the specific KSA designated by an asterisk (

• ) GS-14 Clinical Pharmacist-Associate Service Chief 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 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. Associate Service Chief. 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.

Preferred Experience:

3 or more years of experience in:

• Developing policies and procedures for Pharmacy Service
• Reviewing Pharmacy program or service documentation to ensure compliance with applicable regulations, directives, and standards on a local, state, and/or national level
• Managing multimillion dollar pharmacy medication and personnel budgets
• Coordinating inventory control and medication safety/security operations efforts in Pharmacy Service.

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

Physical Requirements:

Physical demands of the position require regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 40 pounds, pushing and pulling of large carts. The job may include significant time at a computer terminal.