Summary A GS-13 Facility Program Manager (Quality Assurance) works in a VA Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP), a highly automated mail outpatient pharmacy that handles medication assessment and verification of prescription orders transmitted electronically from host sites and prepared for shipment. The primary function of this position is to coordinate all aspects of the CMOP Quality Program. Responsibilities Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Major duties include, but are not limited to: (1) Data Management and Analysis (a) Produces reports to CMOP management, local committees, host sites, and the National CMOP Program to support exceptional organizational performance. Uses advanced quality and analytical techniques to process internal and external data and make recommendations for improvement. (b) Coordinates the development and effective utilization of knowledge of SQL database structures to write custom queries and obtain information in support of local and national CMOP program needs. (c) Coordinates staff in the development and maintenance of an effective working knowledge of databases and the pertinent CMOP local and central databases. (d) Coordinates the development and maintenance of systems to effectively extract, analyze. store. and trend data and provide detailed and summary reports to management in a timely manner. (e) Coordinates staff in the development and maintenance of an effective working knowledge or data activity logs to serve as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Ensures utilization of logs and associated data elements 10 effectively investigate CMOP prescription order tracking from order receipt lo order completion and mailing. (2) Patient Safety (a) Coordinates and implements a comprehensive patient safety improvement program based upon guidance and tools provided by the VA National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS), which also meets the requirements of local and national CMOP leadership and adheres to compliance and regulatory standards. Duties include but are not limited to, execution or oversight of Severity Access Code (SAC) assignment, Root Cause Analyses, Aggregated Reviews, and Healthcare Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (HFMEA) as indicated or required. (b) Ensures confidentiality of protected information in accordance with law and regulation. (c) Serves as or supports the local CMOP Point of Contact (POC) for Patient Safety Alerts/Advisories including tracking of local CMOP actions. (d) Ensures timely investigation and response to errors reported through the National CMOP Web Application. telephone reports from host sites, and internal error reporting systems. Effectively determines the most likely cause of the error, classifies such errors in accordance with local and national guidelines, makes recommendations to avoid recurrence. and reports all findings through local management and review systems. Automation Support (1) Stays current regarding new pharmacy automated dispensing technology. (2) Monitors performance of the automated dispensing equipment, communicates issues, progress and status to Supervisory Pharmacist to ensure optimal performance, safety, and workflow. (3) Provides leadership and guidance to individuals working with the automated processing equipment. including establishing guidelines for performance, reviewing accuracy, quality and efficiency of general workflow. Administrative/Program Support (1) Develops, organizes, coordinates and manages all technical and administrative aspects of the Quality Assurance (QA) Program within the facility. (3) Performs the full range of Clinical Pharmacist Specialist-Quality Assurance duties as needed. (2) Develops, implements and maintains effective Quality Assurance measures for CMOP fulfillment that directly interface with the activities of the overall CMOP Quality Assurance plan and the National CMOP Quality Assurance Program to ensure the provision of accurate, timely. and cost-effective pharmaceutical care Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday - Friday 6:30am - 3:00pm (or as determined by the supervisor or based on the needs of the agency) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD70090A 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 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: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) 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. (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. 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. (1) Exception: Non-licensed pharmacists who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the entry level as a Graduate Pharmacist under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 2 years for a pharmacist that provides care under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. For grade levels above the GS-11, the candidate must be licensed. (2) Failure to Obtain License: In all cases, pharmacists must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the unlicensed pharmacist with the written requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. Failure to become licensed within 2 years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0660 Pharmacist series and may result in termination of employment. 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: (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) 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: GS-13 Pharmacist (Quality Assurance) (a) Experience or Education. In addition to the GS-12 requirements, candidates must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. 1. Experience of 1 year equivalent to the next lower grade level and (b) possess a baccalaureate degree in pharmacy (BS Pharmacy) from an ACPE accredited institution, or 2. Completion of an ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. program. Assignment: Candidates at this grade level are to be in one of the assignments listed below. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time Facility Program Manager - Manages all aspects of a distinct program to include policy development, quality resources and specialty functions unique to the program to optimize cost effectiveness (budget) and patient outcomes. Coordinates a single program area of a complex pharmacy operation, or multiple program areas within a facility to develop, organize, manage, and control complex pharmacy programs. Develops, organizes, coordinates and manages 6 single or multiple program areas within the medical facility; this may include a single program area at multiple facilities. The Program Manager title is reserved for those individuals who have one or more of the following: supervisory responsibilities for various sections within Pharmacy Service; a complex program requiring coordination of multiple locations such as medical center care facilities, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), rural health, telemedicine, etc; specialized areas of a complex nature such as nuclear pharmacy, quality assurance, pharmacy informatics, clinical applications coordinator, Home Based Primary Care, pharmacoeconomist or liaison pharmacist duties requiring the coordination of processes with other medical facilities or VISNs.. A. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. B. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for their program area. C. Ability to solve problems, coordinate and organize responsibilities to maximize outcomes in their program area or area of clinical expertise. D. Expert knowledge of a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice or specialty area of pharmacy. E. 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/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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 Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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.
