Pharmacy Technician (Inpatient)

Summary

This position is in Pharmacy Service, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, Memphis, TN. This position provides pharmacy technician support to the facility and healthcare team.

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Duties

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Pharmacy technicians at this grade level can work autonomously, using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties. Pharmacy technicians above the full performance level (GS-6) can mentor and train lower grade technicians in the practice setting. The employee will assist the pharmacist in providing optimal care and timely service in accordance with the mission, vision, and goals of the VAMC Memphis and Pharmacy Service.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Accurately interpret, fills, and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification.
• Maintains 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.
• Appropriately restocks controlled substances items in automated secured cabinets (i.e., Omnicell) in pharmacy or throughout medical center, as assigned.
• Complies with all laws, regulations, directives, policies, and procedures applying to the dispensing, storage, transfer, inventory, and accountability of controlled substances.
• Uses standard protocols to determine an accurate expiration date for each batch prepared.
• Performs review of medications prepared by another pharmacy employee to be dispensed to hospital areas.
• Accurately fills prescription items for wards using Automatic Replenishment reports.
• Verifies that the patient receives the correct prescriptions by using VA software (i.e., ScriptPro, VISTA and barcode scanning).
• Utilizes and comprehends the mail shipping programs used by the facility (i.e., USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.) for delivery of non-controlled andcontrolled prescriptions.
• Receives telephone calls from Veterans through the automated call distribution system. Answers Veteran inquiries related to process questions. Follows-through to provider on electronic health record (EHR) as appropriate.

Work Schedule : Sunday - Saturday, Midnight - 2359, rotating weekends and holidays; as determined by the service.

Telework : Not available.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 50487F

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not authorized

Requirements

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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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 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

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

English Language Proficiency: Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Education or Experience:

• None required.
• 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.

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).

OR,

• National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials.

In addition to the basic requirements, the below qualification requirements must be met at the grade in which you are applying.

Experience. For the GS-7, Pharmacy Technician must possess one year experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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.

Preferred Experience: Inpatient Pharmacy, Sterile compounding, automation experience.

References: VA Handbook 5005/159, Part II, Appendix G28, dated November 7, 2023.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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

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.

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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.

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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.