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.
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. 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).
- 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).
Grade Determinations:
Experience. In addition to the GS-13 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities (KSA). The KSAs shown below apply to all assignments at this grade level, and the specific KSA designated by an asterisk (*) applies to assignment 2 and 3.
- 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 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.
Preferred Experience: 3+ years of experience in a pharmacy setting, with at least 1 year in a supervisory or leadership role.
Strong knowledge of pharmacy operations, clinical pharmacy practices, and medication management. Preferred experience with electronic health record (EHR) systems and pharmacy management software. Knowledge of contemporary hospital/clinical practice and service.
Significant knowledge and expertise in advanced pharmacy practice, specialty medication therapy management, and specialty evidence-based medicine
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
This position is for a GS-14 which is above the full performance level.
Physical Requirements: Moderate or extended periods of sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, stretching, reaching, lifting, pushing, and pulling. This occasionally involves lifting moderately heavy items (30 pounds). The employee must possess average agility and dexterity.