Summary As the Procurement and Inventory Pharmacist Program Manager, the incumbent will monitor, maintain, and manage the pharmacy procurement activities throughout the health care system including the CACHE. The incumbent will take a lead role in establishing local guidelines for inventory management and optimization and is responsible for overseeing the activities and training and supervising procurement technicians. Responsibilities VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Major duties include, but not limited to: Leadership: Exhibits systems thinking skills to understand the pieces as a whole and appreciation of the consequences of actions on all parts of the health care system. Exhibits strong communication skills through the effective and clear expression of ideas. Performs all supervisory functions for procurement personnel including, but not limited to granting leave, performance appraisals, disciplinary actions, rewards, and recognitions etc. Communicates effectively with pharmacy staff and ancillary team members to keep them informed of necessary information in a timely manner. Keep close communication with each section supervisor regarding drug procurement, drug shortage, drug use, drug accountability or drug budget issues and keeps the Chief of Pharmacy current on the status of assignments and responsibilities. Exhibits flexibility and adaptability through the ability to quickly adapt to change, handle multiple inputs and tasks simultaneously and accommodate new situations and realities. Coordination of Inventory Management: Reviews procurement activities to ensure VA contracts, federal laws, and VA policies and procedures are followed. Oversees the ordering for all VACCHCS pharmacies from National Acquisition Center (NAC), open market purchases, direct to patient supplies, and credit card purchases. Accurately enters monthly and annual 1358 obligations of funds in the appropriate Control Point and ensures adequate funds are available. Enters 2237 purchase order requests for products or services over the defined credit card limit. Ensures follow through of ongoing or new contracts (e.g., contract pharmacy services). Conducts review of all open market purchases to ensure appropriateness, availability of alternatives and cost-effective selections. Provides action plans on system wide improvement to the supervisors as appropriate. Ensures stock level at all VACCHCS pharmacies are maintained to optimize the total replenishment costs. Inventory turns are reviewed quarterly, and action plans are presented to pharmacy management on a regular basis to always optimize inventory at all sites. Coordinates the annual wall-to-wall inventory for the VACCHCS pharmacies and uploading the inventory into the online system, performing manual entries when required (e.g., medications in all pharmacy automations and storage areas, etc.), and consolidating results for all accounts into a report. C. Procurement Program Management Ensure clear separation of duties to minimize the risk of fraud or loss of property. Assignment of duties such as authorizing, approving, recording of all transactions, receiving orders, approving cardholder statements, making payments certification of funding, and reviewing or auditing need to be assigned to separate individual to the greatest extent possible. (One person cannot be the cardholder and approving official for the same transaction in addition, the individual that places a purchase order cannot receive and check-in the same order. Serves as a liaison to the VISN Contracting workgroup and VACCHCS Logistics Service on all purchase orders and follows up on all service requests until completion. Oversees the Drug Accountability program for all pharmacies. This includes verifying the invoices daily that have been uploaded by the procurement technicians, notifying the procurement technicians/Pharmacy Admin Team if incorrect products were ordered or products were processed incorrectly, and maintaining documentation of errors for procurement technician performance tracking grids. Manages the B09 Reconciliation process. This includes ensuring that the procurement technicians are uploading signed invoices daily onto the share point, serving as a back up to the administrative supports to merge B09 reports, screening the discrepancies weekly, and coordinating corrective actions. Provides weekly emails with any missing invoices to the procurement technicians and reviews the monthly B09 memos that are prepared prior to submission to the Chief of Pharmacy and Fiscal. Coordinates the Reverse Distribution System for all VACCHCS pharmacies. Ensure correct procedures are being followed at all sites (generating lists, ensuring physical security, matching items to lists during site visits, etc.), reconciling credits received against the drugs returned, and analyzing information regarding drugs returned to identify potential improvements that may increase the amount of credit received. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 08932-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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 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 in accordance with 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. (NOTE: Prior to 2005 ACPE accredited both baccalaureate and Doctor of Pharmacy terminal degree program. Today the sole degree is Doctor of Pharmacy). TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION (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. YOU MUST SUBMIT COPY OF FPGEC CERTIFICATION WITH THE APPLICATION PACKAGE]. (3) NOTE: Current VA 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. 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. YOU MUST SUBMIT A COPY OF CURRENT LICENSE WITH THE APPLICATION PACKAGE. 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. 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. 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). 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: GS-13 Procurement and Inventory Pharmacist Program Manager Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Preferred Experience: Knowledge of VA Automation and inventory systems utilized in the inventory and procurement management duties. Experience serving on facility committees, VISN committees, and or workgroups as it relates to procurement, inventory, formulary, management, and or relevant customer service. Assignments. 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. 1. Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. The clinical pharmacy specialist (CPS) functions at the highest level of clinical practice, works independently under their scope of practice as defined by the individual medical center to directly care for patients. A CPS plays a defined role in budgetary execution and serves as a mid-level provider who functions to initiate, modify or discontinue medication therapy and as a consultant for intensive medication therapy management services. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: designing, implementing, assessing, monitoring and documenting therapeutic plans utilizing the most effective, least toxic and most economical medication treatments; helping achieve positive patient centric outcomes through direct and indirect interactions with patients, providers, and interdisciplinary teams in assigned areas; performing physical assessments; and ordering laboratory and other tests to help determine efficacy and toxicity of medication therapy. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 13. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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.
