Duties
***FULL-TIME. DETAIL/TEMPORARY PROMOTION OPPORTUNITY - up to 365 DAYS - ***
May be made permanent without further competition
****Written Supervisory approval must be obtained for this detail opportunity and included with your application for consideration. See the Required Documents section for the memo template.****
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws
The Chief of Pharmacy is responsible for the overall operation, management, and direction of the Pharmacy Service at Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, ensuring the provision of comprehensive pharmaceutical care services to all eligible patients. The incumbent will perform all the duties and accept all the responsibilities of Chief, Pharmacy Service for the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS). TVHS is a two-division/18 Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), tertiary Healthcare System with 513 total operating hospital beds providing health care within a Veteran
Primary Service Area that contains a combined non-overlapping estimated 100,000+veterans.
Duties include but are not limited to the following:
- Serves as the principal advisor on all matters pertaining to pharmacy operations and medication management for TVHS, providing leadership and guidance in the development, implementation, and evaluation of pharmacy programs, policies, and procedures.
- Oversees and coordinates all clinical, distributive, administrative, and educational activities within the service.
- Collaborates with other healthcare professionals and services to optimize patient care and participates actively in interdisciplinary committees, quality assurance programs, and strategic planning initiatives.
- Implementation and conduct of Pharmacy Service policies as promulgated by federal and state laws, VA policies, accrediting agency requirements, and Healthcare System management.
- Integrates Pharmacy Service functions into the overall administrative and professional programs of the Healthcare System and manages operations to ensure optimal utilization of personnel, funds, space, and equipment. Supports management with accurate data, information, and reports.
- Establishes policies and procedures to ensure the accurate compounding and dispensing of all drugs, diagnostic agents, and medical supplies for inpatient and outpatient programs. Maintains professional standards for items dispensed.
- Prepares annual budgetary requests with sound justification and monitors control point expenditures for accuracy and compliance.
- Supervises procurement and inventory of all drugs, chemicals, and medical supplies; ensures compliance with mandatory source requirements.
- Responsible for the security, dispensing, and storage of alcohols and controlled substances. Maintains appropriate documentation and records. Ensures monthly inspections are conducted and documented in accordance with VA policy.
- Prepares mandated recurring and special reports such as RCS 10-0141, QUIC, budget, and goal progress, as required.
- Maintains a professional pharmaceutical library and drug information center per VA regulations, making reference resources available for clinical staff, researchers, and students.
- Develops and maintains advanced clinical pharmacy programs, granting the highest clinical privileges, which result in measurable and positive patient care outcomes. Ensures maintenance of active, accredited residency and teaching programs and institutional affiliations to support an optimal learning environment and robust recruitment pipelines.
Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:30am 4:30pm
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 71899-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Requirements
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 identification 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.
- 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.(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.
Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-13) and demonstrate the following KSAs:
(1) Manages a complex medical center based pharmacy program that is defined as having multiple practice settings (e.g. hospital ambulatory care, long-term care, behavior health care) that require Joint Commission review as separate standards.
(2) In addition to the medical center pharmacy, has responsibility for pharmacy services at one or more of the following: CBOCs, Rural Health Program, domiciliary, or provides dispensing and/or clinical services to State Veterans Home.
(3) Presence of advanced clinical pharmacy programs that include pharmacist(s) that have approved scopes of practice with prescriptive privileges.
(4) Pharmacy provides clinical pharmacist services to three (3) or more specialty areas such as, but not limited to, hemodialysis, oncology, operating room or an emergency department.
In addition to the requirements listed in 2a above, must meet at least two of the following:
(1) An ASHP Accredited Pharmacy Residency Program.
(2) A Research Program that is accredited by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs (AAHRPP).
(3) Actively involved in committees or advisory/work groups at the VISN and/or National level.
(4) An ongoing pharmacy student rotation in both the intermediate and advanced practice
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).
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is 15.
Physical Requirements: Applicants must be able to perform the following duties: lifting (up to 50 lbs); carrying (up to 50 pounds). Applicants must have use of all fingers. Walking or standing for up to 8-hours. Kneeling intermittently multiple times for up to 8-hours. Use of both legs is required. Must possess visual acuity to read typed print. Keen hearing (aids permitted). Mental stability must be required to handle rigors of the position. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated by satisfactory use of prosthesis.
Education
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- License
- Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Supervisor Endorsement for Detail/Temporary Promotion
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
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 (VA)
- License
- Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Supervisor Endorsement for Detail/Temporary Promotion
- Performance Appraisal
- Professional Certification
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
- Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
- An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
- Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
- Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
- Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
- Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
- SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.
Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
******** REQUIRED: SUPERVISOR ENDORSEMENT TO DETAIL Letter Example: ********
Supervisor Endorsement for Detail/Temporary Promotion to Service Chief - Pharmacy
Date:
From:
To: Chief of Staff
Subject: Endorsement of Detail/Temporary Promotion for
(Name) for 365 days to the Service Chief - Pharmacy
This is sent to endorse a 365 days detail/temporary promotion to unspecified duties for
(Name) as the Service Chief - Pharmacy at the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System. This also confirms that
(Name) has received at least a fully successful in the most recent performance rating cycle.
_________________________ __________________
Supervisor, Title (Date)
Cc:
(name of employee)
Organization HR Liaison
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.