Clarification from the agency

Only current permanent employees of the St. Cloud VA Healthcare System are eligible to apply to this announcement.

Program Management

• Serving as the local subject matter expert of all pharmacy automation and technology equipment and software. Completes gap analysis to optimize safety and efficiency.
• Maintaining the VA medical facility-level Drug File and its supporting VistA files and parameters within VistA EHR.
• Completing training to support the creation and maintenance of medication-related components within the facility-specific instance of EHR, including testing and implementation, pharmacy automation systems, data analytics, and system monitoring and reporting.
• Conducting training for new pharmacy users (VA medical facility pharmacists and pharmacy technicians) and participating in new health care provider training to provide education about pharmacy service workflows and processes such as prescription and medication order entry, in addition to EHR migration educational activities
• Overseeing the process by which the pharmacy procurement staff uses EHR to
• Establishing and maintaining the appropriate settings for receipt of electronic prescriptions from community care providers at VA medical facilities using Vista EHR.
• Ensuring that appropriately trained and qualified pharmacy staff (preferably pharmacy technicians) are assigned all activities associated with equipment assessment and routine maintenance.
• Ensuring that job specific competencies related to the care and operation of the automated pharmacy systems are part of the pharmacy technicians performance plan and review.
• Collaborating with the VA medical facility Chief of Pharmacy Services and VA medical facility Chief Health Informatics Officer On the creation and maintenance of medication related components within the facility specific instance of the EHR, especially prescription and medication ordering tools.
• Overseeing automated pharmacy systems and Vista programs that directly support pharmacy operation. This includes:
  1. Communicating with Office of Information and Technology specialists at the VA medical facility when problems or concerns arise. System downtimes or malfunctions must be reported through the IT help desk ticket process. The PBM clinical informatics office may be contacted through outlook e-mail for assistance.
  2. Coordinating the installation and maintenance of Vista software and software patches with OIT. These patches are required to effectively maintain the Vista system and ensure optimal performance and safety.
  3. Maintaining and updating the local Vista drug files, including mapping to the NDF, and it's supporting Vista files and parameters. It also includes processing the NDF updates and managing the pharmacy orderable item file.
  4. Reviewing the local Vista drug file upon installation of data updates to identify corrective actions resulting from NDF changes.
  5. Submitting requests for new product additions or problems with the medication order check healthcare application (MOCHA) or other clinical content systems to the PBM NDF team.

Administrative

• Developing and updating policies and procedures defining operational requirements of all aspects of Pharmacy Informatics. This includes instruction and support of Pharmacy Technicians and Pharmacists who utilize pharmacy automation and reports
• Maintaining subject matter expert (SME) level knowledge of software and technology utilized in Pharmacy Automation.
• Managing the sharing of data and information for these programs using tools such as Excel, dashboards, and SharePoint sites.
• Actively serving as the subject matter expert in pharmacy informatics and participating in facility, VISN and National committees and workgroups, as assigned and as aligned with job functions.
• Utilization of continuous quality improvement methods to detect and define problems, and implementation of corrective actions to solve problems and improve performance.
• Serving as liaison between pharmacy EHR support staff and external application Technical Support entities for help desk tickets.

Education

• Collaborates with Pharmacy management and Patient Safety on pharmacy-related training and development in the areas of oversight, to promote the learning experience and improve the performance of providers, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy residents, and students.
• Interfaces with other health-care providers and administrators to ensure compliance with established pharmacy policies and procedures.
• Effectively communicates both orally and in writing regarding complex clinical and technical issues.
• Participates in self-development activities to maintain and increase professional competence.

Work Schedule: 0800-1630 Monday-Friday
Telework: Ad-hoc only may be available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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

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 appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.
• 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.
  • 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).

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 Determinations:

Facility Program Manager, GS-13

• Experience. In addition to the GS-12 requirements (1 year experience at the GS-11 level or completion of an ACPE-accredited PharmD program), must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  1. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
  2. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
  3. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise
  4. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
  5. Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of examination.

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.

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• License
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

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
• License
• Clinical Resume/CV (can be greater than 2 pages). See "Special Note for Applications" above.
• RECOMMENDED: Write to the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) on a separate document - KSAs are found under qualification/grade requirements in the announcement
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• 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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