Facility Program Manager - Medication Safety Pharmacist

Facility Program Manager - Medication Safety Pharmacist

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Minneapolis, Minnesota

Salary Range: $152927 - $198807 Per Year

Job Summary: The Medication Safety Officer serves as the program manager responsible for advancing a culture of High Reliability through comprehensive medication safety oversight. The incumbent evaluates and addresses challenges of overall safety within a complex healthcare system. The incumbent keeps facility leadership apprised of activities, trends, observations, recommendations, etc. in support of patient safety, medication safety and healthcare system goals and objectives.

Major Duties:

• This role collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, including pharmacy leadership, administrative staff, and facility leadership, to guide and evaluate medication safety initiatives across all inpatient and outpatient care settings within the Minneapolis VAHCS. The program manager develops, coordinates, and implements medication safety programs and pharmacy procedures in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards, ensuring continuous improvement in medication management and organizational value. Additional responsibilities include analyzing safety-related data in partnership with clinical and informatics teams, supporting evidence-based drug therapy consistent with national, VISN, and local policies, overseeing the Medication Use Evaluation Tracker (MUET), and VADERS management. The position also serves as co-chair of the Medication Safety Committee and will work closely with the Patient Safety Manager to review medication-related events, identify improvement opportunities, and collaborate with clinical leadership on implementing changes such as policy updates, quality initiatives, and staff education. The position requires extensive knowledge and skill in using Medication Safety databases for patient safety analysis. FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES: A. Facility Program Management (25-90%): The incumbent will provide comprehensive medication safety oversight within Pharmacy Service and supporting all clinical services within MVAHCS. Activities include: 1. Manages data collection, analysis, and review of medication safety events and practices including reporting of adverse events and adverse drug reactions. 2. Identifies quality improvement initiatives to address issues in medication safety, develops proposals for procedures to implement changes; identifies resources needed to affect change; assists in training of affected personnel; and helps establish monitoring methods to assess effectiveness of changes. 3. Works with the Patient Safety Manager to analyze, categorize and triage incoming JPSR reports to the facility. 4. Uses clinical knowledge to complete individual quality reviews and/or case assessments to determine which improvement efforts are necessary to improve clinical care delivery. Implements relevant improvement strategies, which may include, but are not limited to, one-on-one teaching, group educational sessions, process redesign, and/or peer review. 5. Serves as the Chair of the Medication Safety Subcommittee. Pharmacy Program Management (5-25%): The incumbent will be involved in the independent professional practice of pharmacy in accordance with the guidelines set forth in pharmacy service policies and procedures, VA Regulations, and federal laws governing the practice of pharmacy. The incumbent will work in conjunction with other pharmacy staff and other health care professionals to form an organized team approach to the delivery of pharmaceutical care. Activities include: 1. Coordinates internal pharmacy quality management tracers and education on medication safety and other regulatory topics. 2. Serves as the main pharmacy point of contact for pharmacy medication related JPSR event reports, triaging management reviews and tracking/trending reports. 3. Participates in quality improvement activities, pharmacoeconomic initiatives (e.g., drug conversions, drug file maintenance), committees, and workgroups in support of the pharmacy service strategic plan related to medication safety. Education (1-10%): 1. Assists in the training of pharmacy employees, pharmacy residents and Pharm.D. students as assigned to the practice area in coordination with the Associate Chief of Pharmacy for Quality and Education. Develops/assists in developing appropriate rotations and learning opportunities for pharmacists, pharmacy residents and/or pharmacy students. Precepts trainees in advanced clinical pharmacy practice areas. These learning experiences will be documented and evaluated appropriately and timely. 2. Works with pharmacy leadership to implement medication safety related training and disseminate information to staff. Identifies cases suitable for teaching purposes, assists in the development of training materials, and provides training support to the patient safety program. Research/Project Management (1-10%): 1. Participates in projects as assigned and as they relate to the program area, demonstrating effective project management skills. When necessary, obtains proper approval from direct supervisor, regulatory bodies such as the Research and Development Committee, the Institutional Review Board, and other committees. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm OR 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: If available, Ad-Hoc ONLY Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Qualifications: All requirements must be met at the time of the announcement closing. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 Facility Program Manager Experience: In addition to the GS-12 requirements, must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-12. The GS-12 requirements include: Knowledge of professional pharmacy practice. 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. AND Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Pharmacists assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to communicate orally and in writing to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. Expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards 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. Creditable Experience: (1) 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. (2) 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). (3) 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. (4) 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. Preferred Experience: Highly desirable candidates will have recent experience in a current or previous job (including residency training) that includes medication safety initiatives and work with programs and data analytics specific to medication safety; advanced pharmacy degree (PharmD); PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency; PGY2 specialty residency or equivalent experience in the specialty applicable to this position. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/07/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12943408. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-07