Pharmacy Technician - Inpatient

The Inpatient Pharmacy Technician will be assigned on a rotating basis to various positions, including sterile compounding, controlled substance management, inventory management and procurement, as well as medication packaging and distribution. Additionally, the technician will perform quality assurance activities including medication room inspections and will assist in ensuring drug databases are maintained. EDUCATION: Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ . RESPONSIBILITIES: Functions of the position include, but are not limited to:

A. Customer Service

Treat patients, team members, other facility employees and visitors with dignity and respect.

Respond to the needs of the Veteran and staff in a courteous and timely manner.

Demonstrate appropriate and proactive interpersonal skills to achieve the goals of the service.

Act as a team member and support the group's efforts at all times.

Demonstrate an ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality of care.

B. Pharmacy Operations

Maintain competence in the area of compounded sterile preparations and compounded hazardous medications, including appropriate preparation, stability, handling, beyond use dating, and disposal.

Maintain competence in all operational aspects of pharmacy service including specialty equipment and materials, automation, distribution, labeling, packaging, documentation, controlled substance accountability, procurement, and inventory management.

Ensure database maintenance (Omnicell, MedCarousel, Script Pro, Alaris, Codonics) by informing appropriate personnel of new products/packages and scanning failures.

Troubleshoot in the event of equipment or associated software malfunction, including the ability to request service assistance from VA entities or the equipment vendor.

Supervise pharmacy technician trainees and pharmacy students in performance of any operational functions. Ensure workload is completed in a timely manner and prioritize tasks to provide the most efficient and relevant service delivery.

Maintain ordering officer designations and knowledge of VA formulary and VA contractual requirements for procurement; order medications and supplies to meet anticipated patient care requirements and avoid waste.

C. Quality Assurance

Conduct monthly medication storage area inspections in inpatient wards and outpatient areas for audit purposes. Completes thorough inspections, documents findings, and shares findings with pharmacy management.

Maintain a thorough understanding of VA, USP, Joint Commission and other standards for drug handling and storage and monitor in all areas, taking action to maintain security and integrity of all medications.

D. Education

Demonstrate skill at using both written and verbal communication techniques in teaching others.

Assist in new employee orientation, competency assessments, and mentoring as required.

E. Program Management

Serve on department or medical center committees as requested.

Adhere to all medical center and department policies and procedures. Manage information security within areas of responsibility to assure that computer system security and confidentiality of sensitive information is maintained, and that employee access to sensitive information is limited only to that which the employee requires to perform their duties. Report and address violations of information security.

Maintain the security of pharmaceuticals according to local policies and federal and state regulations.

Work Schedule : 7:00 AM-3:30 PM and 1:30 PM-10:00 PM. This position will alternate between day and evening shifts, as well as alternate working holidays.

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 000000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Fi nancial Disclosure Report: Not required QUALIFICATIONS: Basic Requirements :

Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States.

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:

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-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:

Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

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).

Pharmacy Technician, GS-08 Grade Requirements :

Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-08 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07). Experience includes mentoring and training lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting; assisting advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participating in performance improvement initiatives; using independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy; functioning as staff pharmacy technicians in various locations of the pharmacy, including pharmacy contact centers and other non-traditional pharmacy locations, with minimal oversight.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs:

Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology and policies in a specialized area or section of pharmacy (such as sterile compounding, controlled substances, automation, clinical pharmacy, contact center, etc.).

Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures.

Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy.

All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package.

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

Driving Requirements: Travel is required, as needed, to perform quality assurance activities including medication room inspections at off-site clinic locations. A current, valid state-issued driver's license is required for this position. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your license with your application. A clean driving record report from the DMV and a copy of your driver's license will be required during the online onboarding process if you are selected for this position.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of the examination. SALARY: QuantitativeValue EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other