Summary
The incumbent functions as a certified pharmacy technician in the Pharmacy Service at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center. The Procurement/Inventory Pharmacy Technician is responsible for all prescription and nonprescription medications and supply purchasing and inventory in a highly complex area of Pharmacy Service at John D. Dingell VA Medical Center.
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.
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
- 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) OR National Health career Association (NHA) - Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)
- Grandfathering Provision
- Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard 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: 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Foreign Education
- To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials
- English Language Proficiency
- Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
- 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: Pharmacy Technician - GS-08
- Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below
- Certification
- For positions above the full performance level - the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: (a)PTCB as a CPhT
- or (b)NHA as a ExCPT
- Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
- In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for all GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment: 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
- Basic knowledge of pharmacy procurement - distribution and storage requirements to maintain a safe working environment
- This includes not limited to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and DEA requirements and regulations
- Ability to assist in determining and modifying as necessary: ordering intervals - inventory levels and cost-effective ordering quantities from required sources based on current financial conditions in pharmacy - seasonal variations in drug usage - changing patterns in medical practice - delivery time requirements and urgency of medical need
- Preferred Experience: Experience in State Veteran Home procurement ordering supplies (i.e
- wound care - catheters - ostomy - nutrition - incontinence products - tube feeding - etc.) 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-8. Physical Requirements: Light to heavy lifting (under 15 pounds to 45 pounds and over) - as needed light to heavy carrying (under 15 pounds to 45 pounds and over) - straight pulling (1 hour) - pushing (2 hours) - reaching over shoulder - use of fingers - both hands required - walking (5 hours) - standing (7 hours) -sitting (2 hours) - repeated bending (2 hours) - both legs required - near vision correctable at 13 to 16 to Jaeger 1 to 4 - far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other - ability to distinguish basic colors - ability to distinguish shades of colors - working alone - protracted or irregular hours of work.
Duties
- The incumbent responsibilities mandates compliance with all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) - Food and Drug Agency (FDA) and all federal rules and regulations regarding contract compliance - purchase card procedures - reconciliation requirements - control point rules - controlled substance purchasing - purchasing documentation maintenance - and general inventory control processes
- Primary duties consist of pharmaceutical and supply order initiation - proper receipt of shipments - compliance with product and storage requirements
- Incumbent has independent purchase responsibilities
- The incumbent functions as staffing requirements dictate assisting the pharmacy management team in providing optimal pharmaceutical care and timely customer service in accordance with the mission - vision and goals of the Pharmacy and the Medical Center
- The duties and responsibilities of the Pharmacy Technician Procurement/Inventory include but are not limited to the following: Continuously analyzes and reassess priorities to ensure workload demands are accomplished in the most effective - efficient - and economic manner
- Effectively evaluates pharmacy activities to assist pharmacy supervisors in obtaining short- and long-range goals and objectives
- Assists pharmacy supervisors in identifying areas of effort duplication and developing solutions to streamline processes - reduce waste - save costs - and improve patient care
- Reports potential and/or actual medication errors
- Encourages pharmacy technicians to report actual and/or potential medication errors or adverse events
- Serve as ordering officer for pharmacy service - delegated by the VA National Acquisition Center (NAC) while maintaining annual training requirements
- Initiates ordering requirements of pharmaceuticals - specialty - and supply items through pharmacy prime vendors multi complex accounts or other mandatory sources
- Responsible for adherence to federal contracts and compliance with federal regulations regarding open market - ensuring inventory control through perpetual evaluation
- Assists in determining ordering intervals and stock levels appropriate to meet changes in formulary - brand to AB rated generic drugs - contract changes - conversions - new drug indications including backorders and seasonal changes
- Procures all types of pharmaceuticals including controlled and non-controlled drugs within established VA ordering guidelines - policies - and procedures within inventory management specialized area with the understanding of proper budget utilization
- Purchases using National contracts (NAT) - Federal supply schedules (FSS) - Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) and open market etc
- to ensure compliance with federal acquisition regulations - and policy - understanding the contracting hierarchy of all purchases
- Incumbent will download invoices daily as part of the drug accountability process or other inventory management system
- Incumbent may be required to obtain necessary certification to order narcotic medications through pharmacy prime vendor
- Incumbent must maintain training requirements - national pharmacy technician certification and meet annual competencies required for this position
- Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm or 8:30am - 5:00pm or 9:30am - 6:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Functional Statement #: 93236-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
