Pharmacy Technician - Inpatient/Outpatient

Job Title

Allied Health Professional

Duties

The duties include:

• Resolving pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
• Training developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
• Dispensing medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
• Troubleshooting automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.
• Interpreting, filling, and preparing prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification.
• Maintaining work areas in a clean and orderly condition by assuring that all stock and equipment are in assigned places and all shelves and counters are free of dust and debris in order to create optimal work areas.
• Ensuring 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, corrosive chemical, flammable liquids, and refrigerated items.
• Receiving, checking, rotating, and placing in stock all items received from pharmacy procurement section and identifying and reconciling any discrepancies to assure correct items have been received.
• Utilizing automation dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff following all safety and QA procedures.
• Reporting automation malfunctions timely to the supervisor as appropriate.
• Recording expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system upon receipt.
• Performing monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed.
• Completing inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Compounding and/or reconstituting oral or external medications (non-sterile).
• Answering questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution. Identifying basic therapeutic problems.
• Assisting in training and orientation of new staff technicians, interns, and students.
• Assuming an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program consisting of students, externs, interns, residents, and professional and non-professional staff members.
• Demonstrating the ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality.
• Performing duties of all lower grade technicians as needed.
• Participating in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy.
• Assisting in quality improvement activities by participating in assessment and action teams that will improve service as assigned.
• Completing all National, VISN, local, and Pharmacy mandatory trainings in a timely manner.
• Following USP 797/800 Guidelines for the compounding of all sterile preparations, hazardous, large & small volume IV solutions, PCAs, etc.
• Manufacturing uncomplicated and/or complicated parenteral admixtures to be delivered in the form of large volume, small volume, infusion syringe or other as required.
• Interpreting physician orders, selecting, and measuring appropriate ingredients, mixing ingredients in a safe and effective manner, inspecting the final product for accuracy, suitability, and elegance, labeling the product, maintaining records of the manufacturing process, and supplying the product for pharmacist verification and delivery.
• Using standard protocols to determine an accurate expiration date for each batch prepared.

Work Schedule: 7:30am-4pm, Monday - Friday; Various rotating day shifts

Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May Be 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 #: 59275A

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

US Department of Veterans Affairs