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Summary The incumbent is responsible for the operation of the pharmacy automated data processing and management information systems across the Battle Creek Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center campus and associated VA Clinics. They will serve as the subject matter expert on electronic health record (EHR) issues, workflows, and mitigations. They will work collaboratively with the facility, VISN, national and EHR vendor points of contact. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to: Serve as a subject matter expert on pharmacy processing applications and the ability to place and manage all work orders/tickets associated with the electronic health record. Responsible for the development of staff training for and implementation of all new and upgraded VISTA/CPRS, Cerner and GUI applications. Complete manual and automated data collections from VA pharmacy and automation systems. Provides analysis of systems data to pharmacy administrators and maintains data integrity of pharmacy systems via quality assurance analysis. Assist supervisory staff with pharmacoeconomic analyses and pharmacy workflow planning as it relates to information systems. Maintains data integrity of VA national cost reports. Devises methodologies for converting manual data collection systems to automated systems. Work in concert with appropriate Health Informatics Service (HIS) and Information Security personnel to develop VISTA/Cerner and/or GUI based solutions to operational problems. Contact for HIS Clinical Application Coordinator (CAC), national software support offices, and outside vendors whose product interfaces with computerized databases in the pharmacy. Maintains familiarity with all pharmacy operations impacted by applications employed and proposes operational changes to supervisory staff when automation provides the opportunity to gain efficiency. Devises efficient templates to extract information from VISTA/Cerner for Pharmacy Department and other Medical Center staff as required. Maintains pharmacy prescription refill systems. Monitors system functionality, reports, and efficiency. Serves as network administrator for several pharmacy networks and interfaces which include ScriptPro, Audiocare, Script Talk, Pyxis, ATP2 or similar medication packager, and other applicable work path systems. Serves as the primary Information Security Coordinator for the Pharmacy Department; responsible for developing and implementing procedures required to preserve the privacy and integrity of all computer data through menu management and access rights limitations to the following systems: VISTA, CPRS, Cerner, ScriptPro and SharePoint. Collaborate with Pharmacy Administration to assist with developing and maintaining a method for Pharmacy Staff to relay information to Pharmacy Staff and Medical Center Staff. Collaborates with HIS staff and security officers from other areas when required to address problems that cross Department lines. Assists the Medication Safety Program Manager with reports and efficient communication methods for notifying VA patients of urgent medication recalls. Coordinates, maintains and analyzes VA pharmacy mailout operation data exchanges with the VA Consolidated Mail-Out Pharmacy to improve efficiency of local pharmacy operations. Implements VA formulary decisions in VISTA and Cerner drug files and maintains documentation of the local formulary with Pharmacy Informaticists. In addition, works with HIS, vendors and Public Relations to provide formulary information to patients as deemed necessary. Serves as a subject matter expert and member of various hospital committees, VA Regional (VISN) committees, National VA work groups, and root cause analysis committees. Provides expertise on Pharmacy operations to associated groups and works in concert to develop future pharmacy systems and electronic health records. Installs, troubleshoots and otherwise maintains Drug Accountability software installed in the local host system. Maintains systems and data integrity via quality assurance analysis of cost reports and product movement reports. Provides training resources for all new staff regarding the use of VISTA/CPRS, Cerner, Fileman, Information Security policies, network usage, Outlook, etc. Cross-trains an alternate Pharmacy Department Information Security Coordinator to ensure that the IS functions are completed during periods of absence. Trains supervisory staff in the use of VISTA/Cerner/third party software reporting tools for maintaining internal control of their areas. Provide updates on electronic health records at any requested time. Receive and triage reports of EHR issues and route to the appropriate pathway for resolution. Coordinates, monitors, develops and evaluates the activities of the Pharmacy EHR system. Ensures ongoing compliance with medication management standards set forth by the Joint Commission, FDA and OIG; document and monitor Adverse Events, reporting through VA-ADERS and any Patient Safety Reports through JPSR. Manages all tickets placed for the electronic health record and will track and trace these tickets through to completion. Develops process improvement strategies for pharmacy issue reporting and resolutions. Captures and reports out ticket data and metrics. Work Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not eligible Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:93693-0 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 may be required to serve a 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: 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.) 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. 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. English Language Proficiency: Pharmacists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d) 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 Requirements: Creditable Experience Knowledge of Professional Pharmacy Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with professional pharmacy practice. Professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional or unlicensed graduate pharmacist as defined by the appropriate licensing board. Residency and Fellowship Training. Residency and fellowship training programs in a specialized area of clinical pharmacy practice may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for- year basis. The pharmacy residency program must be accredited by the American Society of Health- System Pharmacists (ASHP). A fellowship program that is not accredited by the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) will need to have comparable standards for experience to be creditable (Professional Standards Board refers to the Deputy Chief Consultant for Professional Practice for the determination). Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to pharmacy experience at the next lower level. Experience as a Graduate Pharmacist is creditable provided the candidate was used as a professional pharmacist (under supervision) and subsequently passed the appropriate licensure examination. Part-time Experience. Part-time experience as a professional pharmacist is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a pharmacist employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-13 Facility Program Manager Experience. Applicants must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-12). Examples of such specialized experience include, but are not limited to: reviewing, interpreting, and verifying medication orders for appropriateness; processing and filling medication orders; interacting with and making recommendations to other clinical staff regarding medication therapy ordered; reviewing the patient's medications, allergies, labs, and other pertinent information from the medical record to identify and solve medication-related problems; contacting providers as appropriate; documenting recommendations and interventions; providing refill extensions and partial medication supplies; taking health and medication histories; performing medication reconciliation; providing drug information; assisting in formulary management including therapeutic substitutions, nonformulary reviews and medication usage evaluations; documenting and assessing adverse drug events (ADEs); assisting in medical emergencies; providing oversight of technical staff in all aspects of medication distribution or completion of a PGY1 residency. Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities. 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 GS-13. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work includes moderate lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 44 lbs., pushing and pulling of large medication carts, light lifting of under 15 pounds, reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, good dexterity (both hands required), walking up to 4 hours, standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time, kneeling, repeated bending/stooping, climbing, use of legs and arms, operation of vehicle/motorized cart, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20, specific visual requirement, ability to read fine print on labels, depth perceptions, ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors, hearing (aid permitted), clear speech, and emotional stability. 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.