Pharmacy Technician

This Pharmacy Technician (GS-0661-07) position is located at the Chelmsford Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP) for VA. Serves as a highly skilled, independent technician under minimal supervision. Candidates must have and maintain active national certification as a Pharmacy Technician through PTCB or NHA. This is a hybrid Title 38 position supporting Veterans' medication needs.

Qualifications:

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship: United States Citizenship required. (Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.)
• English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
• Education or Experience:
  1. None required.
  2. 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-07 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:
  1. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
  2. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

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).

Grandfather Provision. 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.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates

Pharmacy Technician, GS-07:
Experience:

1. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-07 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06).
2. Certification: For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:
   1. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
   2. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
3. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs:
   1. Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
   2. Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
   3. Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
   4. Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
   5. Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
   6. Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.

Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Pharmacy technicians at this level are nationally certified and can work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties. These pharmacy technicians mentor and train lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting. They assist advanced/specialized pharmacy technicians and participate in performance improvement initiatives. At this level, pharmacy technicians use independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy. They also function as staff pharmacy technicians in various locations of the pharmacy, including pharmacy contact centers and other non-traditional pharmacy locations, with minimal oversight.

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

Physical Requirements: Work is performed in a highly mechanized warehouse setting around production machinery. Moderate noise and traffic require attention to safety. Some work areas involve a moderate risk requiring exercise of safety precautions when operating or working around the automated equipment (i.e., accumulators, moving belts, etc.). Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is mandatory when handling specific medications and in certain areas of production or assignment. The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion and activity, involving standing for prolonged periods of time on hard surfaces, lifting/carrying/pushing/pulling of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs. unassisted and bending/twisting/stooping/reaching.

Responsibilities:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

1. Performs a wide variety of duties in the production areas of the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP), including automated dispensing, labeling, bulk and replenishment, refrigeration, controlled substances, hazardous drugs, receiving, manifesting, and packing.
2. Repackages bulk pharmaceuticals (tablets, capsules, etc.) from stock containers into specified quantities and containers, applying patient labels as appropriate.
3. Operates pharmacy tablet/capsule counting and labeling machines efficiently.
4. Replenishes and rotates stock in automated pharmacy equipment using inventory management software, including FIFO (First-In, First-Out) and SLIP methods; reports discrepancies or product issues to the supervisor or lead technician.
5. Verifies receipt of medications and supplies, ensuring compliance with Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) regulations; inspects for shortages, tampering, damage, and expiration.
6. Accurately prepares prescription orders for pharmacist verification.
7. Suggests improvements to workflow and work methods to enhance efficiency.
8. Manages inventory, including cycle counts, stock level assessments, removal of expired/damaged items, and maintains records for specialty and controlled substances.
9. Coordinates with logistics personnel to support inventory needs; may prepare and present workload or operations data.
10. May assist in medication destruction in accordance with policy and participate in technical advisory groups, staff training, or quality assurance reviews.
11. Provides training and oversight to other staff as assigned; ensures compliance with established policies and procedures.
12. Follows all safety, occupational health, and hazardous drug handling protocols; reports unsafe conditions and participates in required safety training.
13. Assists with computer program lockouts, monitors area security, and controls access for non-CMOP individuals.
14. Maintains confidentiality of sensitive data in accordance with the Privacy Act and VA policies.
15. Performs related clerical duties such as typing, copying, sorting, and distributing mail.
16. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 5:30 am to 3:00 pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
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 #: 72542-A
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Salary : $417