Pharmacy Technician

Summary

The Pharmacy Technician position functions in the Inpatient Pharmacy of the Pharmacy division. Pharmacy technicians at this grade level are nationally certified by PTCB or ExCPT and can work autonomously, using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties. The employee will assist the pharmacist in providing optimal care and timely service in accordance with the mission, vision, and goals of the Pharmacy division.

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Duties

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FUNCTIONS OR SCOPES OF PRACTICE:

• A. OPERATIONS- MEDICATION STOCK AND STORAGE
  • 1. Adequate stock of pharmaceuticals and supplies for the areas assigned is maintained by communicating with the procurement personnel for items that are below par levels or out of stock.
  • 2. Usage of medications is monitored, and par levels are adjusted accordingly. In addition, out of stock medications are communicated to the pharmacy staff and procurement team at the time of discovery so that arrangements can be made to prevent delays in patient care.
  • 3. All pharmacy areas are maintained according to facility and service level policies (e.g., separate areas for high alert medications, proper disposal of corrugated cardboard, etc.).
  • 4. Assigned monthly ward inspections are thoroughly and consistently performed within established timeframe, including inspection of investigational drug areas, if assigned.
  • 5. Recalled drugs are properly returned to pharmacy service, segregated, and secured to prevent re-dispensing.
  • 6. Outdated, deteriorated, and damaged medications are disposed of in the appropriate pharmaceutical waste containers or placed inside the return bin for credit processing according to policy and procedures for reverse distribution.
  • 7. Stock is rotated as necessary to utilize the shortest expiration date items first.
  • 8. Pharmacy medication shelves are scanned daily to assist the procurement team in ordering medications and supplies.
  • 9. Packaging supplies are monitored and restocked by alerting procurement staff in a timely manner.
  • 10. Medication and supply orders are checked in for accuracy from the prime vendor, logistics, and other contracted vendors.
    11. Medications and supplies requiring a purchase card are listed and requested by the procurement staff.
  • 12. Refrigerators/freezers are monitored daily for adequate temperature control according to facility policies and procedures. Appropriate action is initiated and documented for out-of-range temperature, and problems are resolved in a timely manner to ensure no drug is wasted due to improper storage.
  • 13. Equipment problems are identified and concerns are brought to the immediate attention of the supervisor and/or Informatics/Automation personnel.
  • 14. Maintains a safe, clean, uncluttered work area in the storage and dispensing areas.
  • 15. Prepares items necessary for storage according to policy and requirements.
• DISTRIBUTION-MEDICATION ORDER/PRESCRIPTION PREPARATION
  • 1. Medications, supplies, vaccines, etc. are filled accurately in accordance with current state and federal laws/regulations and are checked and verified by a pharmacist before dispensing to the patient. This includes selecting the correct medication or supply item and dosage form, accurately counting or measuring the quantity to be dispensed, reconstituting, labeling the medication with a barcode, affixing the appropriate auxiliary labels, and completing all necessary documentation per policies and procedures, including making appropriate entries on the pharmacy record and decrementing in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) for proper inventory. Potential problems are brought to the attention of a pharmacist and reported to by the supervisor for review in an accurate and timely manner.
  • 2. Workload is prioritized; orders/prescriptions are processed, filled and delivered in a timely manner; and assignments are completed within specified time frames.
  • 4. Sterile and non-sterile compounded medications are prepared and dispensed according to
  • policies and procedures both hazardous and non-hazardous products.
  • 5. Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile). This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used for final pharmacist verification.
  • 6. Manufactures products requiring compounding including chemotherapy and NIOSH medications, whether made in large batches for more than one patient or in small batches to fill a single prescription or drug order.
  • 7. Correctly interprets physician orders, selects, and measures appropriate ingredients, mixes ingredients in a safe and effective manner, inspects the final product for accuracy, labels the product, maintains records of the manufacturing process, and attains a final check by a pharmacist
  • 8. Preparing and dispensing unit dose medications which includes but are not limited to accurately filling patient cassettes, returning unused medications to stock, maintaining adequate unit-dose stocks, handles routine telephone inquiries, replenishing emergency

Work Schedule : 0800-1630

Compressed/Flexible :Not Available

Telework : Not Available

Functional Statement # : 0000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Available

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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 dentification 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 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.
  • (1) None required.
  • (2) 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:
  • (1) Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). OR
  • (2) National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)..

Grade Determinations : Pharmacy Technician, GS-07

• (1) Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• (2) Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:
  • (a) PTCB as a CPhT. OR
  • (b) NHA as a ExCPT.
• (3) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience
  above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • (a) Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
  • (b) Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
  • (c) Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
  • (d) Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
  • (e) Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
  • (f) Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination. Exceptions: A pre-placement examination is required for any occupation or assignment that requires the operation of a government-owned or -leased motor vehicle in order to properly carry out assigned duties. Examinations may also be required for any occupation or assignment that requires a pre-placement examination by virtue of another policy, regulation, or statute

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.