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Summary The Medication Safety, Quality Assurance, and Regulatory Compliance Program Manager is responsible for the overall direction and coordination of safe medication strategies and practices, and ensuring that the Pharmacy Service maintains compliance with various accrediting bodies. Responsibilities VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn\_ickNBEws The incumbent functions as a pharmacist in accordance with the guidance set forth in Pharmacy Service policies and procedures, Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee minutes, scope of practice assignment, established protocols, VA regulations, and State and Federal laws governing the practice of pharmacy. The incumbent is under the supervision of the Associate Chief, Pharmacy Service. The incumbent possesses the knowledge to practice in the specialized area of sterile compounding, medication safety and general pharmacy practice. The Program Manager will serve as the facility Medication Safety Committee Chair. Duties include and are not limited to: Medication Safety: Provides oversight of the medication safety program. Reviews audits, and implements corrective action, where needed, for all components of medication management including purchasing, ordering/prescribing, pharmacist review, preparation, dispensing, storage, administration, reconciliation, and monitoring. Knowledgeable in the application and use of a variety of quality improvement methodologies and tools, such as Focus-PDSA, Lean principles, RCA, HFMEA. Functions as a consultant to management personnel regarding pharmacy activities related to Joint Commission (JC), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), etc. and patient safety initiatives. Functions as a point of contact for medication safety policies and procedures involving pharmacy service. Regulatory Compliance: Responsible to implement system changes to ensure full regulatory compliance with VHA, The Joint Commission, DEA, EPA, OSHA, NIOSH, FDA, USP 795, USP 797, USP 800 and other applicable VHA handbooks and directives, laws, regulations, and standards with respect to medication safety. Writing and updating relevant and assigned Medical Center and Pharmacy Service policies and procedures to support full compliance with USP 795, USP 797, USP 800, VHA regulations, Joint Commission standards, and all applicable laws and regulations. Management: Assists Supervisors in the development and implementation of pharmacy processes in response to recalls and safety alerts. Ensure timely response to all VISN action items. Tracks and trends data for reporting and to prepare necessary continuous quality improvement as appropriate. Establishes and implements quality assurance monitors Educates staff on medication error prevention and system changes to ensure quality of care for the veteran patient. Technical: Assist ADPAC in the support of VistA, CPRS ordering design to reduce likelihood of medications errors (e.g., quick orders). Provide support for pharmacy automation to reduce likelihood of medication errors. Review and provide technical reports from VistA, pharmacy automation or other software (e.g., Pandora™ ) focusing on safety trends and procedural compliance. Education: Maintains competency by completing at least 15 contact hours of ACPE-approved continuing education (or equivalent) annually, relating to USP 797, USP 800, regulatory compliance, or general medication safety. Identifies staff educational and training needs pertaining to medication safety, especially in the area of sterile processing and hazardous drug management. Provides medication safety education (drug information, in-service, etc.) to patients, physicians, nurses, pharmacy staff, and other healthcare professionals. Administrative: knowledge, skill and flexibility to be assigned to other sections of Pharmacy Service for training, to provide for emergent patient care needs, or support to improve the service's operational efficiency. Manages assigned recordkeeping, e. g. competency assessments, documentation logs, personnel and process testing reporting, USP 795, USP 797, USP 800 report processing and monitoring. Meets all required deadlines and requirements associated with these reports and records. Works with other services (Facilities Management, Infection Control, Nursing Service, etc.) to ensure that all requirements are met regarding regulatory standards. Work Schedule: To be determined by Service Chief Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not eligible for telework Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 61176 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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. You may be required to serve a trial 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. 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 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 Tect (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. English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). In addition to the basic requirements listed above, the below qualification requirements must be met. Grade Determinations: GS-13 Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Experience. Must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that includes: (Must be documented on your resume.) Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to both patients and health care staff. Knowledge of laws, regulations, and accreditation standards related to the distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs and pharmacy security. Skill in monitoring and assessing the outcome of drug therapies, including physical assessment and interpretation of laboratory and other diagnostic parameters. 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. Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following Full Performance KSAs: Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standard 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. 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 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.