Clarification from the agency

This is an internal job announcement open to current, permanent employees with the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System (EOVAHCS), past, current, or upcoming VHA Health Professional Trainees (HPT) graduates. First consideration will be given to current permanent employees with the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System (EOVAHCS). Veterans Preference is not used on internal announcements.

Videos

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

List of Duties but not limited to:

• Utilize strict accounting practices to maintain an accurate budget. Provide upper management with quarterly, monthly, and often daily updates on budget status.
• Functions as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and prepares contracting requests for Pharmacy Service.
• Provide direct oversight for the accountability of expired or soon-to-expire medications held for return for credit. Ensures all items are secured and monitored through the time of pick up by the contracted reverse distributor to reduce the possibility of undetected loss, theft, or misuse.
• Serves as the Cache Manager for the All-Hazard Emergency Cache ensuring cache inventory is maintained, secured, and appropriately stocked for emergencies.
• Oversees the receiving and verifying of correct shipment of pharmaceuticals.
• Assuring correct storage requirement of pharmaceuticals. MSDS must be maintained for hazardous materials and all pharmaceuticals with the exception of tablets and capsules. Will oversee purchases of medications from Prime Vendor daily. Items not authorized through Prime Vendor must be procured in a timely manner from another identified source.
• Ensures that the Pharmacy Service is following all procedures in VA controlled substance directives, including VHA Handbook 1108.07, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), in addition to all administrative, and distribution of controlled substances.
• Serves as primary liaison with the pharmaceutical prime vendor, Logistics Service, VISN procurement group, and pharmaceutical representatives. to include the Oklahoma State Veterans Home Sharing Agreement.
• Conducts monthly audits, prepares bills of collection, ensures payment is received, and provides all support for the Oklahoma State Veterans Home Sharing Agreement. Maintains a borrow/loan ledger.
• Serves on committees as assigned by the Chief of Pharmacy and/or the Associate Chief of Pharmacy Operations.
• All duties and responsibilities that involve being a Government Credit Cards/Approving Official.
• Responsible for assessing, planning, and evaluating the pharmacy procurement and pharmacoeconomic programs to ensure that all Federal, VHA, and local acquisition regulations are followed with proper coordination between the delivery of Pharmacy services and the overall delivery of healthcare.
• Provides direct supervision of the duties of all Procurement technicians.
• Interview prospective pharmacists and technicians to determine their suitability for vacancies. Works directly with the Pharmacy Supervisors when disciplinary action may be warranted.
• Conducts performance reviews and competency assessments and writes functional and position descriptions and performance standards for the section. Recommends appointments and special advances, within-grade increases, or disciplinary action to the Professional Standards Board or Chief of Pharmacy, as appropriate.
• The incumbent approves or disapproves leave requests, formulates work schedules, and performs timekeeping functions to ensure adequate staffing.
• Establishes section goals and objectives consistent with department and medical center goals and develops the operational plans and policies to achieve them. Assists in the creation, review, and updating of pharmacy procedures for procurement-related items.
• Helps formulate final decisions in planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating the entire operation as it relates to controlled substances in order to maintain efficiency.
• Assures that all staff are knowledgeable concerning Medical Center and Pharmacy Service policies and procedures. Creates and administers annual competencies to ensure that staff is trained and able to perform all expected duties.
• Maintains advanced knowledge of pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacotherapeutics in the area of practice.
• Coordinates the training and orientation of newly hired pharmacists, students, and residents.
• Keeps abreast of new developments in pharmacy practice and drug therapy by reading pharmacy and medical literature and participating in continuing education programs.
• Incumbent responsible for completing all necessary continuing education (CE) credits to maintain a current, active, unrestrictive license to practice pharmacy as a registered pharmacist as well as additional required training as designated by the Medical Center and Pharmacy service.
• Keeps abreast of service and medical center policies and contributes as a team member to successful TJC surveys and other quality and risk management inspections/visits.

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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• 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).

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 (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 2 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-12 requirements of 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level

Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs):

• Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions.
• Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area.
• Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise.
• Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy.
• Advanced skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters.

Preferred Experience: 2+ years of pharmacy experience.

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

This position is for a GS-13 which is above full-performance.

Physical Requirements: Work requires moderate lifting, walking, bending, stooping, standing, pushing, and pulling.

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.