Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technician

The pharmacy technician independently performs duties and responsibilities by filling orders, dispensing/delivering medications using automated systems or provide technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs. Duties include but are not limited to:

• Accurately interpret, fills, and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification.
• Conducts regularly scheduled biweekly inventories and assists the Controlled Substance Inspectors in completing the unannounced monthly inspections.
• Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines, including the storage of high-risk, look a-like sound a-like, hazardous, controlled substances, and refrigerated items.
• Receives, checks, rotates, and places in stock all items received in order. Identifies and reconciles any discrepancies to assure correct items have been received.
• Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment including robotic dispensing, automated counting, and barcode re-labeling equipment. Trouble-shoots minor mechanical problems of all automated systems as they occur and coordinates resolution of more involved mechanical or software problems with supervisor, vendor help desk, etc. as appropriate.
• Performs monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed. Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Monitors temperature of Pharmacy refrigerators/freezers and maintains temperature logs as necessary.
• Assists narcotic inspectors with the inventory and accountability inspections.
• Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution.
• Identifies basic therapeutic problems, such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention.
• Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program consisting of students, externs, interns, residents, and professional and non-professional staff members.
• Demonstrates the ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality.
• Participate in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy.
• Outpatient responsibilities include prescription filling, pharmacy phone triage, window prescription dispensing, narcotic vault assignments, preparing medications for mailing, or other areas that may develop from patient pharmacy needs.
• Inpatient responsibility include aseptic admixture preparation, accurate automatic and on-demand ward stock replenishment, maintenance and operation of automated prepackaging, storage, and dispensing equipment, assembly and documentation of controlled substance requests, and properly packaging unit of use medications
• Performs all duties of lower graded technicians, if required.

Work Schedule: 8AM - 4:30PM with rotating holidays/weekend & shift change 9:30AM - 6PM

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized.

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.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 49715F

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.