Thank you for expressing interest in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS).As you prepare to graduate, I invite you to examine employment opportunities for pharmacist professionals throughout the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and in other Federal agencies/programs that employ USPHS Commissioned Corps officers or civil service pharmacists.

 

There are a variety of employment opportunities to explore. Pharmacists are employed in one of two career personnel systems – the civil service system or the PHS Commissioned Corps.  The system an individual enters depends upon a number of factors – the type of assignment, the needs of the program in which the assignment is located, and the pharmacist’s personal interest, desires, training and experience.  Both systems offer attractive working conditions and benefits.

The majority of pharmacists working for DHHS are assigned to the following agencies:

 

• Indian Health Service (IHS) – 47%
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – 26%
• Bureau of Prisons (BOP) – 14%
• National Institutes of Health (NIH) – 13%

 

There is a wonderful document about the opportunities for pharmacists within the Commissioned Corps called PHARMACY’S BEST KEPT SECRET.  It provides a comparison of PHS Commissioned Corps salary with that of the private sector.  It can be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/pharmacy/pdf/secret1.pdf or for a PowerPoint slide show go to: http://www.hhs.gov/pharmacy/recruitindex.html

 

Take a look at our the comparison between PHS Commissioned Corps and the civil service system at:http://www.hhs.gov/pharmacy/career.html

 

It is worthwhile to mention that at this time there is a $30,000 Accession (Sign-on) Bonus for pharmacy officers!  For additional information about the bonus and other special pay for pharmacists in the Commissioned Corps please go to: http://dcp.psc.gov/PDF_docs/4228.pdf

 

Regarding other questions you may have, you’ll find the Commissioned Corps website very helpful: http://www.usphs.gov

 

Under “Profession”, you can go to the “Pharmacist” category.  You can get answers to frequently asked questions such as:

 

Where do pharmacists work in the PHS commissioned Corps? 

What are the entry requirements? 

How much will I earn? 

How do I apply?

 

COMMISSIONED CORPS APPLICATION

You can obtain an application by calling the Commissioned Corps application hotline at 1-800-279-1605 or you can download an application from the Office of Commissioned Corps Operations (OCCO) website at: http://www.usphs.gov/html/general_application.html

 

Your application to the Commissioned Corps is processed by OCCO’s Recruitment and Assignments Branch.  To check on the status of your application call (301) 594-3360 or go to the OCCO website at: https://dcpweb.psc.gov/rab/scripts/main_menu.htm and click on “Check Status” then enter the last 4 numbers of your social security number and last name.

 

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENTS

While you are going through the application process to the Commissioned Corps, also begin applying to specific job vacancies.  Some of the positions you may be eligible for include (but are not limited to) “Consumer Safety Officer” (CSO) or “Project Manager” in the FDA, “Pharmacist”, and other health related titles.  Please note that few positions outside BOP, IHS, or NIH carry the job title of pharmacist; therefore, it is important to read each job announcement carefully to see if you qualify with a pharmacist degree.  Please note:  The application process can sometimes be delayed so it is advised you begin the process even if you have not located a position of interest. 

 

To help you get started searching for a job, here are a few links to vacancy announcements:

 

1. General Job Vacancies: http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/agency_search.asp then select the Agency of the Department of Health and Human Services that you are interested in.  You can narrow down your search by geographic locations, etc.

 

2. Job Vacancies for FDA: http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/a9fda.asp. You can limit your search by geographic locations.

 

3. Division of Commissioned Personnel (DCP): http://dcp.psc.gov/VATS/rpt_field_selection.asp and search under the “pharmacist” category.

 

4. Indian Health Service: http://www.ihs.gov/medicalPrograms/pharmacy/ and search under “current vacancies”.

 

When applying for an advertised vacancy as a Commissioned Officer, you must indicate in the cover letter that you are applying for the position as a Commissioned Officer.  Please refer to http://dcp.psc.gov/VATS/instructions_applicant.htm for more information.

 

Here are two links to DHHS Agencies with Pharmacist contacts:

http://www.hhs.gov/pharmacy/contacts.html

http://www.hhs.gov/pharmacy/agencies.html

or to find out more about a specific agency or location, please visit the agency website or contact the Agency’s pharmacist recruiter listed below:

 

Agency            Definition                                                                    Web Site

 

BOP                 Federal Bureau of Prisons       http://www.hhs.gov/pharmacy/bop/index.htm

CDC                Centers for Disease Control & Prevention                 www.cdc.gov

FDA                Food and Drug Administration                                  www.fda.gov

HRSA             Health Resources and Services Administration          www.hrsa.gov

IHS                 Indian Health Service **                                            www.ihs.gov

INS                  Division of Immigration Health Services, INS            www.inshealth.org

NIH                 National Institutes of Health **                                 www.nih.gov

USCG             Unites States Coast Guard                                         www.uscg.mil

 

** Pharmacy Residencies Available

 

Agency            Recruiter                     Phone #                       E-mail Address

 

BOP                Joe Zagame                 (215) 521-4091           PHLO972@bop.gov

            or         Chris Bina                   (202) 353-4659            cbina@bop.gov

CDC                Austin Hayes              (770) 488-1898            aeg4@cdc.gov

            or         Jim Dowdy                 (770) 488-6204            jpd2@cdc.gov

FDA                Beth Fabian-Fritsch    (301) 827-5714            beth.fritsch@fda.hhs.gov

            or         Lillie Golson               (301) 827-2394            lillie.golson@fda.hhs.gov

HRSA             Jimmy Mitchell           (301) 594-4353            jmitchell@hrsa.gov

IHS                 Edward Stein              (888) 366-4941            ed.stein@ihs.gov

INS                 Don Brown                 (202) 494-8081           Don.Brown@dhs.gov

NIH                 Bob DeChristoforo     (301) 496-5477           rdechristo@nih.gov

USCG             Mary Fong                  (202) 267-0694           mfong@comdt.uscg.mil

 

Good luck and please let me know if you have any other questions!