Pharmacy Technician

Summary Selected candidate will assigned as an Outpatient Pharmacy Technician. At this grade Pharmacy Technicians must be certified by the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or National Heath career Association (NHA) and work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties in pharmacy and applies standards relating to all aspects of distribution and control of scheduled and non-scheduled drugs. Responsibilities VA Careers - Pharmacy: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include but are not limited to: Maintains workflow patterns that assure timely delivery of all pharmacy services and ensures accurate dispensing and record keeping documentation. Effectively organizes workload, solves problems, and troubleshoots problems. Triages appropriate issues from internal or external patient or staff contacts. Answers telephone calls and attempt to resolve problems at the lowest level possible and manages inquiries in a timely and courteous manner before directing questions to the appropriate member of the pharmacy staff. Performs general maintenance and housekeeping tasks for assigned work areas. Reports adverse drug events (ADE), near misses, and medication errors and participates in quality improvement initiatives to promote patient safety. Participates in the medical center medication utilization evaluation (MUE) program by assisting pharmacists with data required to conduct drug use reviews or other medication use monitors. Participates in quality improvement activities in all areas of the pharmacy. Participates in emergency preparedness activities. Serves as a role model to pharmacy students (pharmacists and technicians) and residents. Maintains his/her professional competency by keeping abreast of current literature and regulations and applies this knowledge in his/her daily duties. Assigned work areas are not fully restricted to outpatient; however, this will be the primary work assignment. Outpatient technicians will be required to retain competency and perform selected, non-specialized duties of the inpatient technician depending on the level of competency required such as cart fill and checking, cart and medication deliveries, and other routine functions common to technician duties. Will rotate through all tours according to the outpatient staffing plan including weekend and holiday tours. Accurate packaging and labeling of outpatient prescriptions. Ensures medications dispensed are completely and correctly labeled and packaged in full compliance with Federal rules and regulations. Replenish supplies/medications for the fill area. Conduct general maintenance and housekeeping tasks for the work area assigned. Dispense medications at the pharmacy window. Maintain familiarization with the regulations and safe handling requirements for medications and hazardous substances. Dispenses controlled substances with accuracy according to current policies and procedures for outpatients. Prepare and package medications for mail-out. Involved in all activities related to the automated dispensing machines, including ScriptPro, Omnicell, medication cart filling, mail processing equipment and Script Talk. Responsible for operation and general maintenance of all equipment and reports malfunctions promptly to supervisors. Will rotate through the telephone care unit and process refill requests and other veteran requests. Assures appropriate drug storage, including medications brought into the facility by patients. Maintains adequate stock and inspects drug storage areas, including checking for outdates, and assures the proper disposition of outdated, recalled or otherwise adulterated medications. Provides education to health care providers when appropriate. Maintains knowledge in the area of practice. Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program consisting of students, externs, interns, residents, professional and non-professional staff members. Conducts on-the-job training and provides guidance through designated programs. Keeps abreast of new developments in pharmacy practice and drug therapy by reading pharmacy and medical literature and participating in continuing education programs. Participation in research activities must be in accordance with FDA guidelines and regulations and VHA policy. May participate in research studies by collecting data or in special medication preparation or dispensing procedures. Actively participates in committees and projects as assigned. Work Schedule: Various Shifts between 7:30am to 6:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination. 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. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education or Experience: None Required 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). National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). English Language Proficiency: Pharmacy technicians appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Grandfathering Provision: 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). Pharmacy Technician, GS-07 Grade Determination: Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-06) grade level. Equivalent experience includes, but is not limited to: filling orders, dispensing/delivering medications using automated systems and providing technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs, delivering of medications to floors/patients, filling medications for the pharmacist to review, checking for expired medications, answering phones with appropriate disposition, preparing sterile products (when applicable) and assisting with basic inventory management such as putting up stock and identifying when medications need to be ordered. AND Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In Addition, the candidate must demonstrate 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 Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: 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.