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!