Pharmacy Technician

Summary

The Compound Sterile Product (CSP) Chemotherapy/Controlled Substance Pharmacy Technician is a highly specialized technician, who will perform a variety of complex functions in the preparation of chemotherapeutic agents and management of controlled substances. The incumbent will consistently demonstrate independent technical judgement and comprehensive working knowledge of sterile preparations. This position has responsibility for the handling and timely filling of controlled substance orders.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Pharmacy :

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

FUNCTIONS or SCOPE of ASSIGNED DUTIES:

Performs essential role in preparation, compounding, dispensing, and distribution of sterile and nonsterile hazardous medication and controlled substances within designated areas.

• Receives, reviews, and prepares physician order for cytotoxic agents and pre-medication and investigational drug agents.
• Performs accurate product identification labeling dosage calculation, and compounding of agents by utilizing package literature, written procedural guidelines and application of specialized knowledge.
• Successfully complete assignments and maintain annual competencies to compound hazardous and non-hazardous IV sterile preparations according to USP and standards.
• Follows proper aseptic preparation techniques when compounding hazardous and non-hazardous medications.
• Reviews anticipated inventory needs and notifies procurement technician in a timely manner of products required.
• Assists in maintaining all required records related to sterile compounding.
• Receives hazardous IV chemotherapy inventory stock according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) guidelines placing in proper storage areas, rotating stock on shelves, and removing/replacing outdated items.
• Maintains Chemo/IV room medication inventory, compounding supplies and cleaning product to ensure availability and minimize waste.
• Conducts daily, weekly, and monthly IV room cleaning to include check for soon to expire medications.
• Manufactures uncomplicated and/or complicated parenteral admixtures to be delivered in the form of large volume, small volume, infusion syringe or other as required.
• Prepares sterile ophthalmic preparations and other complex sterile pharmaceuticals such as total parenteral alimentations and cardioplegia solutions.
• Assists in the central IV sterile suite as needed.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of USP 795/797/800 chapters and hazardous drug handling to assist in management, compliance, staff education activities, training, and room certifications.
• Participates in glove fingertip and media fill testing, maintain competences passing didactic practical skill assessment initially and annually thereafter.
• Assists in airborne particulate and microbial testing and surface testing to ensure cleaning schedules are met.
• Ensures full compliance with all regulatory requirements (VHA, Joint Commission, USP , EPA, OSHA, NIOSH, and FDA).
• Provides training to new or existing staff so that these competencies are maintained.
• Evaluates, analyzes and coordinates workflow independently in the assigned area.

OTHER DUTIES

• After prescription/order(s) are reviewed by a pharmacist for therapeutic propriety, reviews orders for technical accuracy and converts the order, if necessary, so that the item dispensed corresponds to the drug and dose ordered.
• Assists with inventory management and ordering of medications.
• Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution. Identifies basic therapeutic problems such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention.
• Conducts periodic ward inspection of patient care areas.
• Assists in total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services.
• Monitors refrigerator temperature daily in pharmacy assigned area.
• Serves as back-up to research pharmacy technician as needed and maintains knowledge of the Hematology/Oncology Research Program policies and procedures.
• Assigned work areas are not restricted to the Inpatient pharmacy; the incumbent may be assigned to other Pharmacy service work areas as required by patient care needs to maintain consistency of services as authorized by the Chief, Pharmacy, or designee.

EDUCATION

• Seeks personal and professional development opportunities which enhance personal well-being, customer service skills, and technical expertise.
• Educates non-pharmacy personnel and patients regarding Pharmacy
• Service's procedures, policies, and processes.
• Serves as preceptor for pharmacy learners.
• Completes all required mandatory training by assigned due dates.
• Maintains continuing education requirements as required for position, license, or certification.
• Assists with and helps conduct the training, orientation, retraining, and documentation of training of employees to Pharmacy Service policies and procedures.

Work Schedule : Rotating shifts and weekends

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : ???????02853F

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.
• Must pass pre-employment 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 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 :

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

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: (1) None required.

Certification: T he 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.

A COPY OF YOUR CERTIFICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION.

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).

GS-08 Pharmacy Technician Grade Determinations:

Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below.

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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA):

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for all GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated:

• Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology and policies in a specialized area or section of pharmacy (such as sterile compounding, controlled substances, automation, clinical pharmacy, contact center, etc.

Note: See Specialized Area.in the Definitions Section.

• Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures.
• Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy.

Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding, oncology, controlled substances, medication history review, clinical specialist (anticoagulation, pain, infectious diseases), clinical informatics, automation, immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession. The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area. The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products, filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations, taking medication histories and counseling patients, managing automation, managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area.

Preferred Experience

• Experience preparing sterile IV products in compliance with USP cleanroom standards.
• Prior hands-on experience compounding hazardous drugs, including chemotherapy,.
• Experience working in a controlled-substance vault or performing day-to-day controlled substance accountability.
• Familiarity with DEA handling requirements and inventory procedures.
• Strong communication skills and experience working alongside pharmacists and other technicians in high-volume, high-risk preparation areas.
• Ability to multitask and maintain accuracy under time-sensitive conditions (e.g., STAT IVs, infusion clinic deadlines).

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is 8.

Physical Requirements: Refence VA Directive and Handbook 5019

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.

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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