Pharmacist (Service Chief)

Veterans Health Administration; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 150,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Health Administration seeks a Pharmacy Chief (GS-15) to lead all aspects of pharmacy services at a medical facility, ensuring quality, compliance, and patient outcomes. The role includes budgeting, staffing, training, and collaboration with internal programs and external partners to advance the facility mission.

The incumbent provides education and training for professional staff and ensures safety and ethical conduct of medical research involving patients, aligning services with

Qualifications

• Graduate of ACPE-accredited College or School of Pharmacy with a Pharm.D. or BS Pharmacy.
• Foreign grads must provide FPGEC certification and TOEFL iBT.
• Full, current license to practice pharmacy in the United States or applicable territory.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Pharmacy Service Chief, overseeing all pharmacy operations.
• Maintain interdepartmental relationships and ensure efficient, compliant service delivery.
• Manage budget, allocate resources, and drive cost effectiveness.
• Formulate objectives, priorities, and plans aligned with the facility mission.
• Ensure staff orientation, training, and academic affiliations.
• Engage with VISN, National and external agencies and professional associations.

Skills

Budget management

Resource planning

Leadership

Policy compliance

Staff development

Cross‑functional collaboration

Education

ACPE-accredited Pharm.D. or BS Pharmacy

FPGEC Certification (foreign grads)

TOEFL iBT (for foreign grads)

Full, current pharmacist license

Job description

The Pharmacy Chief ensures quality of pharmacy operations and services provided, education and training of professional staff, and safety and ethical conduct of medical research conducted on patients aligned to the service. The Pharmacy Chief is involved in providing framework for planning, directing, coordinating, providing, and improving health care services responsive to community patient needs and improve patient health outcomes.

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. (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: [phone], 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. (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[1]Based Test (TOEFL iBT).

Licensure Full

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. 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. 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-15

Service Chief. Responsible for all aspects of pharmacy services at a medical facility by maintaining effective interdepartmental relationships demonstrating active problem resolution skills and close cooperation with other programs and services in accomplishing the medical facility mission and goals. Responsible for budget management, determining resource needs, allocating resources, ensuring proper utilization in productivity, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of the operation. Formulates objectives and priorities and implements plans consistent with the long term interest of the organization, capitalizing on opportunities and managing risks. Responsible for compliance with all safety, regulatory, and accrediting body requirements. Delegates authority to several supervisory and program levels to meet the goals of the service and staff. Ensures orientation and training programs are established to ensure staff development, oversees academic affiliations, and participates in medical facility, VISN, National, other external governmental agencies, and professional associations. (a) Experience. In addition to the GS-14 requi