Pharmacy Technician

Summary

Join the VA Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy team in Tucson, AZ, the second largest city in Arizona. Tucson boasts the best of both worlds...the progress and innovation of a metropolitan community and the friendly, caring atmosphere of a small town. Blessed with the natural beauty of the Sonoran Desert and an unsurpassed climate of 360 sunny days a year, Tucsonans embrace a rare lifestyle and are committed to preserving that quality of life.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

VA Careers - Pharmacy :

Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf

Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Utilizes skill in operation of pharmacy tablet/capsule counting and labeling machines.
• Replenishes pharmacy stock in automated pharmacy equipment, utilizing the computer software and/or inventory system. Rotates stock using FIFO (First-In, First-Out) or shortest life-into-production (SLIP).
• Processes and prepares prescription orders accurately with appropriate medications and/or medical supplies for pharmacist verification.
• Monitors and suggests changes for the improvement of workflow, work methods and/or priorities.
• Interacts with logistics personnel to maintain efficient inventory flow of pharmaceutical needs.
• Participates in and supports the use of automated dispensing systems to improve productivity, increase efficiency and assist efforts in ensuring timeliness of processing.
• Reports downtime problems, actions, and resolutions for all interruptions in production to appropriate personnel.
• Provides training and assessment of other personnel. Monitors policy and procedure compliance in assigned area, reporting any findings to appropriate personnel.
• Follows written instructions for aseptic techniques in handling of hazardous drugs.
• Monitors and controls area access for non-CMOP individuals and immediately reports any security violations to appropriate supervisory personnel for action.
• Reports any unsafe or unhealthy working conditions.
• Assists other personnel with resolution to computer program lockouts, ensuring accuracy of final product.
• Assists with basic inventory activities and checks for outdated or damaged pharmaceuticals.
• Rotates stock supplies and checks for acceptable levels of stock.
• Performs cycle counts to ensure proper inventory is on hand and participates in regularly scheduled inventories as assigned.
• Effectively and appropriately represents the CMOP and the VA Health Care System in all interactions.

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday, shifts varies between 5:00am-3:30pm and 3:30pm-12:00am

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

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 # 2542-A

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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 :

1. Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States
2. English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
3. 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.
4. 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:
   1. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
   2. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

Grandfather Provision. A Pharmacy Technician employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (11/7/2023) 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Grade Determinations : In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Pharmacy Technician, GS-07 Experience:

1. In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-07 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06).
2. 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).
   2. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
3. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs:
   1. Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
   2. Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
   3. Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
   4. Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
   5. Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
   6. Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in performing functions in various areas of production to include, but not limited to, automated dispensing, labeling, bulk, replenishment, refrigeration, controlled substances, hazardous drugs, receiving, manifesting, and/or packing.
• Candidate has experience in repacking bulk pharmaceuticals, tablets, capsules, etc., into specified quantities and into various sized containers.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS- to GS-7.

Physical Requirements: Work is performed in a highly mechanized warehouse setting around production machinery. Moderate noise and traffic require attention to safety. Some work areas involve a moderate risk requiring exercise of safety precautions when operating or working around the automated equipment (i.e., accumulators, moving belts, etc.). Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is mandatory when handling specific medications and in certain areas of production or assignment. The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion and activity, involving standing for prolonged periods of time on hard surfaces, lifting/carrying/pushing/pulling of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs. unassisted and bending/twisting/stooping/reaching.

Education

Education may not be substituted for experience at this grade level.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.