Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technician

Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Pharmacy Dispensing/Distribution Services: The Pharmacy Technician will be involved in assuring appropriate, safe, and accurate medications are dispensed to veterans in an efficient manner.
• Maintains workflow patterns that assure timely delivery of pharmacy services and ensures accurate documentation and dispensing of pharmaceuticals.
• Effectively organizes workload, solves problems, and achieves established goals.
• Provides patient care utilizing an in-depth knowledge of specialized areas of pharmacy practice. Maintains and understands the operation of pharmacy equipment and automation, such as ScriptPro, TCG-Rx, BD Cato, and Pyxis.
• Assists staff and patients, either by phone or in person, concerning drug distribution, refill requests, mail, and general triaging of requests for the pharmacists.
• Assists in assuring that pharmacy programs are compliant with all regulatory and accrediting body requirements.
• Actively participates in the procurement process supporting just in time inventory management.
• Inspects all areas of the facility outside of the pharmacy where medications are dispensed, administered, or stored.
• Interprets pharmacy orders; obtains medication in the correct strength and dosage form; determines proper amount and prepares product; affixes proper label; and documents proper information.
• Prepares non-sterile compounds independently for dispensing to patients or other health care providers for use in clinical areas.
• Compounds sterile products to be delivered in the form of large volume, small volume, and other complex pharmaceuticals such as chemotherapy.
• Dispenses controlled substances according to current policies and procedures and standards established by DEA, FDA, VA, and Joint Commission.
• Effectively utilizes the Veterans Integrated Systems Technology Architecture (VistA), Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), and Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) computer systems and other automated pharmacy equipment and computer software systems.
• Controlled substances:
• Accurately interpret, fills, and readies prescriptions with appropriate medications for pharmacist verification
• Appropriately restocks controlled substances items in automated secured cabinets in pharmacy or throughout medical center, as assigned.
• Documents all controlled substance-related transactions as indicated by VA and DEA guidelines.
• Assures that inventory counts are correct at the time of restocking.
• Ensures that proper handoff occurs when receiving or delivering controlled substances, always assuring that these medications are never left unsecured.
• Reports unresolvable discrepancies to immediate area supervisor for resolution. Assist in investigating, witnessing, and resolving discrepancies.
• Complies with all laws, regulations, directives, policies, and procedures applying to the dispensing, storage, transfer, inventory, and accountability of controlled substances.
• Assists inspectors with the inventory and accountability inspections.
• Patient Care Services:
• The Pharmacy Technician will promote a patient-focused, team based multidisciplinary model of patient care.
• Supporting formulary management principles and effective drug use criteria.
• Identifying basic therapeutic problems such as patient allergies and duplicate drug therapy and alerting the pharmacists to the possible need for clinical intervention
• Calling patients to obtain information and to relay prescription information.
• Using databases and spreadsheets to monitor and track patient information.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:30pm, 8:00am-4:30pm, and 8:30am-5:00pm.

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increase.

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).

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 Eligible

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized