Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technician

As a GS-7 Pharmacy Technician with the VA Augusta Health Care System, you will support both inpatient and outpatient pharmacy operations and function with significant independence under a pharmacist's supervision. Major duties include but are not limited to:

Medication Preparation & Dispensing

• Interpret, prepare, and fill prescription orders for pharmacist verification.
• Assemble and label outpatient prescriptions for window pickup and mail delivery.
• Perform bar-code verification on medications to ensure accuracy.
• Operate and troubleshoot automated dispensing systems and prescription packaging equipment.

Compounding (Sterile & Non-Sterile)

• Compound oral, topical, and other non-sterile medications, ensuring accuracy in measurements, calculations, and documentation.
• Prepare sterile products-including hazardous, ophthalmic, cardioplegic, and IV admixtures-following USP and VA standards.
• Maintain sterile technique, cleanroom quality assurance, and compounding records.

Controlled Substances Support

• Restock automated controlled substance cabinets and document all transactions per VA and DEA requirements.
• Perform inventory counts, proper chain-of-custody handling, and discrepancy resolution.
• Assist inspectors during accountability reviews.

Inpatient Distribution & Inventory Management

• Prepare unit-dose medications, replenish emergency trays, and support automated unit-dose systems.
• Conduct monthly ward inspections to ensure proper drug storage and removal of expired items.
• Manage floor stock inventory, determine stock levels, and fill automated replenishment requests.
• Maintain repackaging records and ensure labeling accuracy per USP and VA standards.

Outpatient Services

• Provide window dispensing with proper patient verification using VA systems.
• Package and ship prescriptions, including refrigerated and controlled medications, using USPS, FedEx, UPS, or other carriers.
• Update patient shipping information, resolve delivery issues, and ensure secure and damage-free packaging.

Training, Team Support & Quality Improvement

• Train and orient new technicians, interns, and students.
• Support group productivity by assisting in workflow management across pharmacy areas.
• Participate in performance improvement, quality assurance activities, and service initiatives.
• Serve as a resource to staff by answering distribution questions and identifying potential therapeutic issues for pharmacist review.

Safety, Compliance & Professional Requirements

• Maintain national certification and complete all mandatory training.
• Follow VHA, DEA, Joint Commission, USP, and local policies related to medication storage, security, hazardous materials, and infection control.
• Protect patient information and comply with all computer security requirements.
• Support environmental, safety, and emergency management programs.

Work Assignments & Scope

• May rotate among inpatient, outpatient, sterile compounding, controlled substances, and other specialized areas based on service needs.
• Expected to perform the full range of pharmacy technician duties with minimal oversight and maintain high accuracy and productivity.
• May be assigned to additional pharmacy areas as required by the Chief of Pharmacy or Supervisor.

Work Schedule : Rotating tours, weekends, and holidays.

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 # : 61464F.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized.