Pharmacy Technician

Inpatient Pharmacy Technician are a vital component of medication distribution in the VA. Certified technicians with advanced medical & technical knowledge that function above the full performance level are highly integral to the Pharmacy Service. Pharmacy technicians at this level have a major impact on the operational aspects of the Pharmacy Service for providing timely, efficient, and accurate prescription filling and dispensing with minimal need of supervision.

Qualifications:

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.
• Education or Experience:
  • None required.
  • For all grade levels and positions that accept both education and experience to qualify, equivalent combinations of qualifying education and experience that total at least 100% are qualifying. The combined percentage is determined by adding total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level to the education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level.
• Certification (GS-7 and above): For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:
  • Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
  • National Health career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
• Physical Requirements. See physical requirements listed below.
• English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
• Grandfather Provision. 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). A Pharmacy Technician employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (11/7/2023) 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. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
  1. Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
  2. Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
  3. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
  4. Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
  5. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, to qualify for the GS-7 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6) AND demonstrate all the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) below:

• Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
• Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
• Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
• Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
• Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
• Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.

Preferred Experience:

1. 1 year experience with pharmacy automation, knowledge of troubleshooting, changing paper, changing ribbon, cleaning automation.
2. 1 year knowledge of Controlled Substances, delivering to Omnicell's.
3. 1 year knowledge of filling patient cassettes, order, stocking drugs on floors.
4. 1 year experience compounding IV solutions, piggybacks etc.
5. Knowledge of computer system (Vista)

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-07.

Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds Light, Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds, Straight pulling (3 hours), Pushing (3 hours), Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (8 hours), Standing (8 hours), Kneeling (1 hours), Repeated bending (1 hour), Both legs required, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Specific visual requirement (specify) DVA Correctable to 20/40, Both eyes required, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted).

Responsibilities:

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws
Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf

Major Duties:

• Navigate & utilize VistA, CPRS, & any other patient databases necessary to perform the job.
• Establish patient eligibility status & provider prescriber authority & enter new providers into the system.
• Use medical terminology & common abbreviates to accurately interpret prescriptions.
• Interpret prescriptions & other orders to determine proper disposition.
• Perform a full administrative & technical review of the patient's medication & computer profile, to ensure the most current prescriptions are being processed, checking for remaining authorized refills, & checking for frequency.
• Enter correct medication, strength, dosage form, & quantity into patient's profile.
• Process refills for mail or window pick-up.
• Use knowledge of drug & medication brand names, generic names, general & special storage requirements, expiration date requirements, manufacturer sources, dosage forms, basic pharmaceutical calculations, applicable systems of weights & measures & medical terminology to interpret providers' orders & verify correct drug, dosage form, strength & dose, is distributed.
• Use knowledge of drug use & dosage forms to assist the pharmacist in solving potential drug related problems.
• Prepare prescription order by verifying the correct patient, the label, selecting the proper medication, selecting the correct strength, counting/pouring the intended quantity, packing the medication appropriately, & completing all necessary filling documentation.
• Communicate medication errors, adverse advents, allergies, non-formulary, restricted status & any other medication order related problems for clarification to the pharmacist &/or supervisor.
• Fill on-demand clinic request for hospital ward or clinic stock.
• Inventory & restock hospital pharmacy code blue crash carts/kits & other specialty emergency kits.
• Operate & maintain automated prepacking device to prepack unit dosage forms to restock ADCs.
• Interpret IV (ie., admixtures, piggybacks, syringes, TPNs etc.) medication order request by selecting , measuring, & mixing appropriate ingredients safely & aseptically, inspecting the final product for accuracy, labeling the product, in accordance with facility standing operating procedures (SOPs) & delivering the product after final verification by a pharmacist.
• Prepare all sterile compounding using aseptic technique.
• Maintain cleanliness of facilities non-hazardous cleanroom in accordance with the facilities cleaning SOPs.
• Perform compounding of approved pharmaceuticals according to the facilities SOPs.
• Navigate basic automation package functions.
• Fill automation canisters with medications & input information necessary to allow an audit trail of medications.
• Comply with all laws, regulations, directives, policies & procedures for the dispensing, storage, transfer, inventory & accountability of controlled substances.
• Prepare & fill outpatient pharmacy orders for controlled substances.
• Package prescription medications for dispensation.
• Provide patient education on pharmacy topics.
• Assure all medications are stored appropriately with attention to rotation of stock & complying with all laws & station policies.
• Remove expired medications from stock & follow facility policy & procedures for disposal.
• Perform ward inspections as assigned.
• Complete mandatory training as required within established timeframes to maintain licensure.
• Receives phone calls in a tactful & helpful manner to employees, volunteers, & patients.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00pm with rotating weekends and Holidays, possibility of rotating evenings, and night shift.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:51444-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Salary : $417