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  1. Career Descriptions

Pharmacist Positions at FDA

View all current FDA job openings at USAJOBS

Description of Position

Pharmacists at FDA perform duties that include:

  • Compounding of prescriptions for physicians, dentist and other licensed practitioners
  • Formulation, preparation, bulk compounding, selection, dispensing and preservation of drugs, medicines and chemicals
  • Research and investigation in developing original techniques of compounding and making available for use new investigational drugs
  • Advising on drug therapy and usage
  • Some positions involve the evaluation of drug proposals submitted by private industry and the surveillance of marketed drugs for safety and efficacy
  • Responsible for the proper interpretation of prescriptions and the dispensing of products as prescribed
  • Advising on significant new drugs and developments in the pharmaceutical, chemical and medical fields

Grade (Salary) Levels

The federal General Schedule (GS) grade levels at which these positions are most commonly filled are GS-9 through 13 at the headquarters level.

For a list of GS-grade salaries, see the Office of Personnel Management website.

Qualifications

For GS-9:
Successful completion of a 5-year course of study leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in pharmacy from an approved pharmacy school, or 1 year of professional pharmacy experience equivalent to at least GS-7.

For GS-11:
Successful completion of a 6-year course of study leading to a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) degree; 1 year of professional pharmacy experience equivalent to at least GS-9; or, for research positions, completion of all of the requirements for a master's or equivalent degree in a related scientific field.

For GS-12/13:
Specialized experience is required equivalent to the next lower grade level.

Geographic Locations

Pharmacists are located only in headquarters (suburban Washington, D.C.).

 
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