Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. First area of consideration will be given to current permanent Detroit VA employees. Second area of consideration will be given to current permanent Agency employees. See "How You Will Be Evaluated" for additional information.

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

The incumbent works independently under the Chief of Pharmacy Service and keeps them apprised of trends/problems associated with their assigned areas. The primary responsibility of the position is to assume responsibility for the administration and operations of key EHR activities, quality assurance, academic affairs areas of work for the pharmacy service. Specifically, the Associate Chief is responsible for collaborating with pharmacy staff to ensure issues related to EHR are identified and addressed to help ensure patient safety needs are met. This position is also responsible for assessing and coordinating quality assurance and quality improvement initiatives. Lastly, the position is also responsible for overseeing activities related to the teaching of students, pharmacy practice residents, pharmacy interns, and academic detailers.

Additionally, the incumbent will develop, conduct and report quality assurance monitors for medication safety; develop and coordinate the Pharmacy Quality Improvement program, serve on hospital or departmental committees as requested; work with the pharmacy leadership to ensure regulatory and compliance are consistently attained to meet accrediting bodies standards; present and document in-service education programs to pharmacy staff and other health professionals related to medication safety, and manage the quality improvement program for the pharmacy service.

The Associate Chief promotes the culture of a High Reliability Organization with a focus on reporting, collecting data and continuously improving processes for medication safety. The Associate Chief will provide expertise relating to medication safety to include oversight of the appropriate prescribing, dispensing, and administering of medications, in particular as it pertains to the EMR.

The Associate Chief must be able to provide results of reviews and evaluations in a concise, usable manner.

The Associate Chief has oversight of the EHR as it pertains to pharmacy operational and clinical activities, maintains a quality improvement program and ensures compliance with applicable regulations related to academic affiliations.

Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties:

1. EHR Program Management
2. Quality Program Management
3. Procurement Management
4. Academic Affairs Program Management
5. Administrative/ Supervision

Performs other related duties as assigned, which may include traditional pharmacist duties.

Work Schedule: 7:30a- 4:00p or 8:00a- 4:30p or as needed based on needs of the service.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 94274-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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 website 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.); OR,
  • Graduate 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, unrestricted, and unexpired 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 a requirement for maintaining full, current, and unrestricted licensure. A pharmacist who has or has eve had, any license(s) revoked, suspended, denied, restricted, limited, or issued/placed in a probationary status may be appointed only IAW 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).

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.

Grade Determinations: GS-14 Experience: In addition to the GS-13 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

Associate Service Chief/ Associate CMOP Director. 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.

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 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: ASHP accredited PGY 1 residency training or equivalent experience, ASHP accredited PGY2 residency training or equivalent, experience Pharmacy resident precepting experience, Program Management experience and/or management of team.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is 14. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is 14.

Physical Requirements: Light to heavy lifting (under 15 pounds to 45 pounds and over), as needed light to heavy carrying (under 15 pounds to 45 pounds and over), straight pulling (1 hour), pushing (2 hours), reaching over shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking (5 hours), standing (7 hours),sitting (2 hours), repeated bending (2 hours), both legs required, 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 shades of colors, working alone, protracted or irregular hours of work.

Must be able to distinguish basic colors with ability to distinguish shades of color. This position may require heavy lifting and carrying, 45 pounds and over. Requires routine standing, bending, and stooping/squatting. As needed - pushing, walking, standing, reaching over shoulder, use of fingers, both hands and legs required, walking and standing up to four hours per tour, near vision correctable at 13' to 16' to Jaeer 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, hearing (aid permitted). The work environment is inside a pharmacy - there may be extremes of temperature, distractions and noise. Must be able to don and work with protective work garments and equipment as necessary.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

• Company & Job Title
• Month & Year of Start/End dates (i.e. June 2007 to April 2008)
• Indicate Full-time or Part-time (include hours worked per week) status
• Duties(be as detailed as possible) for each job entry
• References, to include contact information

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Area of Consideration - Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

• First Area of Consideration (Facility Employees) - Current, permanent John D. Dingell Medical Center employees (this includes Outpatient Clinics, permanent employees of the Veteran Canteen Service assigned to this facility, Office of Information & Technology employees assigned to this facility, CPAC bargaining unit employees located at the Detroit VAMC, and Virtual bargaining unit employees assigned to the facility.
• Second Area of Consideration (Other VA Employees) - Current, permanent Department of Veterans Affairs Employees (VA employees who are located at other VA medical centers).
• Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.

Note: Veterans' Preference is not applicable to VA employees of employees of other Federal agencies.

1. Resume Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field (must include the following information):

• Place of Employment and Job Title
• Duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month and year start/end dates (e.g. June 2024 to April 2025)
• Full-time or part-time (include hours worked per week)

NOTE: Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. Including any of this information may result in an ineligibility rating.

2. Transcript (must include the following information):

• Your Name
• Name of the college or university
• Full address of the college or university
• Degree Received
• Date Conferred

REMINDER: A transcript, either official or unofficial, must be submitted with your application for ALL degrees. A copy of your certificate/degree or screenshot of your current classes are not a replacement of your transcript and they will not be used in the qualifying process.

3. License 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 (must include the following information):

• Name on License
• Issuing state or territory
• Complete license number
• Expiration date

4. SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (applicable for eligibility for current employees and past or current HPTs):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current Federal employee:
  • GS Employee - most recent SF-50, dated 1/12/2026 or after
  • WG Employee - most recent SF-50, dated within a year

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Full Resume/CV
• Other (2)
• Other (3)
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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