Pharmacist (Facility Program Manager)

About the role

The Controlled Substance (CS) Pharmacy Program Manager functions under the general supervision of the Associate Chief of Pharmacy Operations in providing direct oversight and accountability of controlled substances - Schedules II-V - used in the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center Inpatient and Outpatient Pharmacies - the Drug Dependence Treatment Clinic (DDTC) - and accompanying community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) that store and/or dispense controlled substances.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the oversight and accountability of all Schedule II through Schedule V controlled substances
• Responsible for the timely completion of all reports, projects, and initiatives pertaining to controlled substance management
• Responsible for developing and maintaining controlled substance competencies and required training for Pharmacy Service staff
• Develops and maintains a cooperative working relationship with other departments such that the overall activities and scope of the CS program are carried out efficiently
• Monitors trends in the treatment of patients with controlled substances in the various functional areas of the hospital and reports apparent emerging trends to the Associate Chief of Pharmacy Operations for follow-up action
• Serves as a resource to the professional staff of the hospital in determining equivalent doses of various controlled substances
• Reviews computerized controlled substance transactions performed daily to determine possible diversionary activity and takes appropriate follow-up action when such activity is detected
• Monitors ordering, dispensing, administration, destruction, wasting, etc. patterns to detect patterns indicating possible diversion and reports such patterns to the Associate Chief of Pharmacy Operations
• Designs, implements, and maintains a system of ongoing audits which monitor controlled substance distribution and use in all areas managed by the CS program
• Ensures all controlled substance returns/destructions are processed within appropriate timeframe
• Monitors performance of Pharmacy Service staff when completing controlled substance transactions and reports problems and/or concerns
• Provides initial introduction to controlled substance handling for all new pharmacists and technicians during the orientation portion of their training
• Provides in-services to all staff on policies and procedures related to the handling and use of controlled substances
• Responsible for providing hospital staff with accurate, comprehensive information regarding the use and handling of controlled substances
• Performs other duties as assigned

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; 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: 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 (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) OR Foreign Education: Graduate of a foreign pharmacy degree program if you are 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) (CERTIFICATION REQUIRED); 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 (LICENSE REQUIRED); 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).

GS-13 Grade Determinations: Pharmacist (Facility Program Manager) Control Substance