The Commissioned Corps of the Unites States Public Health Service is one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. Although some of the uniformed services are also armed services, the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS is not an armed service. Thus, many of the features of employment, e.g., pay and benefits, are equivalent among all the uniformed services. However, there are some distinct differences.

First, the Commissioned Corps of the USPHS is comprised entirely of officers who have been commissioned on the basis of their health-related training. There are no enlisted members of the Commissioned Corps; virtually all Commissioned Officers qualify for commissioning by achieving certain degree requirements from accredited schools.

Second, the applicant to the Corps may select the agency to which he or she wishes to be assigned, as well as the specific location, if there is a preference. If the agency is unable to offer the candidate an assignment of choice or if the individual chooses to seek employment elsewhere, then no match is made. Once a candidate is called to duty, however, he or she can remain at that assignment until choosing to separate or transfer to another assignment. Upon serving at least two years at any particular site, one is eligible to transfer but is not required to do so.

The candidate must be a U.S. citizen, under 44 years of age, have earned a qualifying pharmacy degree from an accredited program, and must meet medical, suitability and licensure requirements.

PHS officers serve wherever needed to meet the health needs of the nation, however, pharmacists most often have a wide choice of a variety of career options to self-direct their own career development.

PHS values ingenuity and pharmacists motivated to improve pharmaceutical care. Pharmacists who move into uncharted aspects of a Pharmacist career with good performance are also valued. Promotion eligibility in the PHS Commissioned Corps is based on education, experience, and length of time in service. Officers eligible for promotion are considered by a specially convened promotion board of pharmacists, who review the performance records of those eligible. Self-motivation, innovative careers, coupled with high performance are attributes of people who are most successful in the PHS.

Training opportunities are offered based on the needs of the program to which the officer is assigned.

Salary, grade and benefits correspond with the officer members of other Uniformed Services (U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force). Salary is comprised of two elements--basic pay (taxable) and allowances for quarters and subsistence (tax-free). Basic pay is determined by pay grade and accumuulated years of creditable service of the Uniformed Services.

30 calendar days of annual leave earned at the rate of 2-1/2 days each calendar month. A maximum of 60 days may be carried over from year to year. Sick leave is granted as needed as there is no sick leave accrued under the PHS Commissioned Corps system. Instead, sick leave is granted when the officer needs health care services or is incapacitated by sickness, injury, pregnancy or confinement.

• Non-contributory retirement based on a 20 to 30 year career (see below)
• Social Security coverage
• No cost health care at Uniformed Service facilities. For dependents, health care is provided, at no cost, on a "space available" basis at Uniformed Service facilities. For dependents (only), there is a cost-share medical program known as TRICARE whereby the patient may a see a physician of their choice.
• Serviceman's Group Life Insurance (up to $200,000 coverage)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits, such as survivor and disability benefits, burial allowance, home loans, educational program, etc.
• Base/Post commissaries, exchanges, officers clubs privileges.
• Space Available (Space-A) travel on U.S. Military Aircraft.

Officers leaving the PHS Commissioned Corps under honorable conditions are eligible for benefits administered by the VA.

The retirement system for PHS Commissioned Corps officers is non-contributory, that is, there is no deduction from your monthly pay to contribute toward retirement benefits. Retirement benefits are calculated on base salary and length of service. Maximum retirement pay (75 percent of base pay) is obtained at 30 years of service. Retirement pay at 20 years of service is 50 percent of base pay. For each year of active duty above 20 years, retirement pay increases 2 and � percent to the maximum of 75 percent for 30 years of service. Active-duty service in another Uniformed Service is creditable toward PHS retirement.

Pharmacists may also enter government service through the Federal Civil Service system. This type of personnel system is not affiliated with uniformed services and is specific to the agency of hire. Therefore, pay and benefits are different than Commissioned Corps and vary depending on the federal agency of employment and the grade of the position. In the BOP, civil servant pharmacists are responsible for the same policies and procedures as their BOP-assigned Commissioned Corps counterparts. However civil servant salary and benefits are not based on competitive promotion. Also, while civil servants are eligible for transfer after a 12-month probation, it is not necessary to transfer from site to site to increase promotion potential.

Candidates for BOP civil servants must be US citizens under 37 years of age. Candidates must have earned a qualifying pharmacy degree from an accredited program and must meet medical, suitability, and licensure requirements.

Civil servants are hired for a specific BOP site. Institutions are located across the US, including sites in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. One is generally eligible for transfer after a 12-month probationary period. Transfers can be either within the BOP or to another government agency as positions open nationwide.

Promotion eligibility is based on education, experience, and length of time in service. The BOP encourages career service in a correctional environment for its staff. Pharmacists are encouraged to progress to the highest levels in their profession as well as other disciplines such as administration.

All BOP staff are required to complete 2 phases of initial training. Institution Familiarization (IF) training consists of 2 weeks of correctional information presented at the site of hire. A subsequent 3 weeks of training is provided at the Staff Training Academy in Glynco, GA. These 3 weeks include written examinations on correctional knowledge, a Physical Abilities Test (PAT), and firearms qualifications. Annual Refresher Training (ART) is provided on a yearly basis at the institution of current service. Professional training opportunities are provided as elected by the pharmacist. A dollar amount is reserved for each pharmacist for Continuing Medical Education (CME). The current amount is $800.00 per year to be used on the program of choice. Pharmacists are also eligible to be nominated to the biennial BOP National Pharmacy meeting, held in alternating sites around the US. This meeting includes accredited CME.

Civil Servant pharmacists are hired under the General Schedule (GS) pay scale. Salary is based on a grade system. Experience and length of government service determine grade. Civil servants are also eligible for salary increases as a reward for outstanding yearly performance. Other monetary bonuses and awards may also be available as well as the potential for overtime pay.

Annual (vacation) leave is 13, 20 or 26 days paid per year, depending on years of government service. A maximum of 30 days can be carried from year to year. Sick leave accrues at 13 days per year and is unlimited in the amount of days that carries from year to year. Employees may be eligible for compensatory time off as well. Civil Servants may elect to participate in the National Leave Bank, a federal government-wide program that covers extended sick leave for those qualified.

• Civil servants are generally hold first shift (Monday thru Friday) positions with all federal paid holidays.
• The Federal Employees� Retirement System (FERS) for BOP employees reflects an early retirement for hazardous duty personnel. An individual may retire at age 50 after 20 years for complete service. An individual may retire at any age after 25 years of complete service. The 3-tiered joint contributory plan consists of Social Security benefits (monthly payroll deductions), a Basic Benefit Plan, and a tax-deferred Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). Retired pay after 30 years is 30% of the average of the highest 3 years of basic pay. Benefits from the TSP depend upon the rate of return and employee contributions/Federal match. Employees can currently contribute 12% (up to $11,000) toward their TSP.
• The Federal Employees� Health Benefits Program (FEHB) is provided to employees and dependents on a cost sharing basis. There are a variety of plans from which to choose with several types of insurance options that include fee-for-service plans, HMOs and point-of-service plans.
• The Federal Employees� Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI) includes a Basic Insurance Amount (BIA) and optional life insurance. The BIA, up to $10,000, is automatic unless waived. Three optional plans for employees and dependants are added onto the BIA if elected.
• A commuter subsidy for public transportation is possible depending on the institution/region of employment.