Summary
In this position you will function as the Pharmacy Technician for all pharmacy areas and perform a variety of specialized technical support functions - enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the professional staff. Pharmacy technicians at this level are nationally certified and work autonomously - using independent judgement to perform the full range of duties. The high-level duties consist of significant scope - complexity and range of variety to be performed at least 25% of the time.
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:
- Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States
- Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with38 U.S.C. § 7407(a)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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 by38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
- Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician - GS-07: Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower 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: PTCB as a CPhT
- OR NHA as a ExCPT
- Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
- In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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
- Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
- Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service.
Duties
- MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Pharmacy Technician for controlled substances: monitors pharmacists and technicians for compliance with controlled substance policies and procedures to assure accountability
- trains pharmacists - pharmacy technicians - and controlled substance inspectors on all pharmacy-controlled substance procedures as defined in relevant VHA Handbooks and local policy
- investigates all reported discrepancies
- performs balance adjustments
- generates all required reports in cases of controlled substance loss
- Pharmacy Technician for investigational drugs: performs all inventory management - dispensing and record keeping activities for all investigational drugs on site - advises pharmacy leadership regarding issues and concerns - and recommends appropriate resolution for identified issues
- Pharmacy Technician for compounding sterile products including chemotherapeutic agents: trains pharmacy staff on established procedures to assure compliance with USP Chapter 797 requirements
- completes competency assessments for pharmacy staff
- assures timely completion of all elements of the quality assurance plan for compounding sterile products
- Pharmacy Technician for the ward inspection process: coordinates ward inspections assignments to assure all areas are covered
- provides training and oversight for pharmacy technicians
- monitors inspections for timely and accurate completion
- Other duties may include: Develop and maintain a tracking mechanism for all non-formulary drug requests consults
- aggregate data and generate reports for pharmacy leadership quarterly
- provide technical and clinical guidance to clinical pharmacist non-formulary drug request consult reviewers
- Develop and maintain the process for tracking inventory of selected noncontrolled substances
- select appropriate drug products - complete inventory counts
- document data
- track and trend results
- Accurately prepare and label inpatient and outpatient medications for final review by a pharmacist in a timely manner
- Accurately prepare and label-controlled substance prescriptions for final review by a pharmacist according to established policies - procedures - and regulations regarding security and record keeping
- Complete controlled substance inventory functions
- Correctly operate and maintain complicated pharmacy equipment according to established Standard Operating Procedures
- Accurately replenish controlled and non-controlled substances in ScriptPro - Script Center - and Medication Carousel units in a timely manner
- Assist medical center staff and patients - either by phone or in person - concerning drug distribution - refill requests - mail - and general triaging of requests for the pharmacists - and refer to a pharmacist appropriately
- Compound hazardous and non-hazardous sterile - and non-sterile products by selecting - calculating - and measuring the appropriate ingredients
- mixing in a safe and effective manner utilizing aseptic technique when appropriate
- inspect final product for accuracy - suitability and elegance
- label the product - and maintain records of the process
- Perform final review of medication prepared by another technician to be dispensed to inpatient areas
- Accurately complete VISTA documentation including units dispensed and automatic replenishment
- Train - orient and mentor new technicians and students regarding facility and department policies and procedures and controlled substances policies and procedures
- Assist department leadership in data collection for process monitoring and improvement activities
- Perform all duties of lower graded technicians - if required
- Work Schedule: Monday - Friday: Day Tour
- Rotating Off Tours (evenings - weekends - holidays) as needed by the department
- Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases - When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
- 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 Functional Statement #: 0000
