Summary
The medication history pharmacy technician is a clinical pharmacy technician with the ability to support the medication reconciliation and medication to bedside delivery program at the Charles George VAMC. The incumbent is responsible for performing medication history for patients under the direct oversight of the pharmacist assigned to the patient care area.
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
- (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: 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)
- OR (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)
- GS-8 Grade Determinations: Experience
- Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below
- Experience at the GS-7 level include: (a) Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles - practices - concepts and theories providing for sound independent work
- (b) Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent
- (c) Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team - Veterans and external customers
- (d) Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students
- (e) Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations - policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution
- (f) Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases
- Certification: For positions above the full performance level - the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: PTCB as a CPhT
- OR 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 - if indicated: 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
- 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 have a higher level of responsibility for specialized areas of pharmacy and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty
- Pharmacy technicians at this grade level may be appointed to one of the following assignments: Pharmacy Technician
- Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding - oncology - controlled substances - medication history review - clinical specialist (anticoagulation - pain - infectious diseases) - clinical informatics - automation - immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession
- The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area
- The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products - filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations - taking medication histories and counseling patients - managing automation - managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area
- Preferred Experience: Recent experience as a pharmacy technician in a hospital or health-system setting - preferably in inpatient or emergency care - performing medication histories and medication reconciliation
- Demonstrated experience interviewing patients - family members - and caregivers to obtain complete and accurate medication histories and assessing medication adherence
- Experience coordinating with outside pharmacies - hospitals - and long-term care facilities to obtain and verify medication information
- Experience documenting medication histories and discrepancies in an electronic health record and working collaboratively with pharmacists and the interdisciplinary care team
- Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
- Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation - see Duties section for essential job duties of the position
- May require standing - lifting - carrying - sitting - stooping - bending - pulling - and pushing
- May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment
- Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions
- the area is adequately lighted - heated - and ventilated
- However - the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.
Duties
- VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Interviews patients - family members and/or caregivers - to develop an accurate list of medications - drug strengths - dosages - routes - and instructions the patient has been taking
- Contacts other pharmacies - hospitals - and long-term care facilities to complete the accurate list
- Assesses patient compliance with prescribed therapy through patient/caregiver interview and review of refill dates
- Compares the compiled list with the active medication profile in the computerized medical record of the patient
- Documents the compiled list in the electronic medical record - noting any discrepancies or omissions within 24 hours of the patient encounter
- Notifies the overseeing pharmacist of any discrepancies - omissions - questions or concerns regarding the patient
- Prioritizes operations and assigned clinical functions to provide the highest quality of patient care
- Reports all potential patient or pharmacy distribution problems verbally and/or writing as requested by the pharmacist in the area assigned
- Reviews medication profiles for prescription duplication - therapeutic duplication - prescription noncompliance - and allergies / adverse drug reactions
- Reports identified patients to assigned pharmacist for further evaluation
- Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm - Excludes holidays and weekends
- Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
