Pharmacy Technician

Summary

The Outpatient Automation Pharmacy Technicians perform the technical functions required in the operation of an outpatient dispensing pharmacy. This includes providing first line support, maintenance, and basic repair of all Pharmacy Service automation. The employee works under the direct supervision of the Pharmacy Technician Supervisor and observes the chain of command at all times as outlined in the Pharmacy Service organizational chart.

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Duties

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VA Careers - Pharmacy :

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Ensures proper storage of supply items.
• Maintains items on shelves in an organized, logical manner so that needed items can be retrieved quickly.
• Visually examines items for damage, deterioration, or imperfections prior to dispensing or mailing. Specifies items damaged, outdated, or imperfect to be returned for credit.
• Responsible for putting prosthetics stock away in its proper storage areas.
• Communicates stock shortages to the prosthetic technician or supervisory employees to help prevent shortages and minimize patient inconvenience.
• Responsible for receiving, storing, and ordering prosthetics items.
• Assess usage, establishes reorder points, and order quantifies of general pharmacy supply items and coordinates with procurement technician to order.
• Provide outpatients and/or caregivers with medication and supplies, as ordered by the provider, Assists patients and/or caregivers, other medical center personnel and outpatient pharmacists as necessary.
• Knowledge of the electronic medical record computer system and applicable pharmacy packages, especially those outpatient packages used to control and document the prescription filling process.
• Performs technical support work in the pharmacy under supervision of a registered.
• Fills prescriptions utilizing the robotics, Packages, compounds, or assembles drugs and supplies that are not stocked in the automated robotics.
• Maintains and repairs the automation robotics allowing each technician maximum filling capabilities
• Delivers finished prescriptions to correct patient and/or caregiver using proper patient identifiers,
• Responsible for daily metering of mail out packages.
• Provides individual training and guidance to lower level technicians/students in Outpatient Pharmacy section.
• Responsible for handling returned mail packages.
• Answers phone calls from patients and doctors.
• Assists in the discharge process in collaboration with registered pharmacists.
• Responsible for putting stock away in its proper storage areas.
• Communicates stock shortages to the procurement technician or supervisory employees to help prevent shortages and minimize patient inconvenience.
• Responsible for receiving, storing, and ordering pharmaceuticals.
• Removes unusable products from active stock, coordinates disposition of unusable stock with Pharmacy Supply Coordinator and documents all actions.
• Requests and obtains stock from inpatient when needed.
• Enters all required quality control information on outpatient filling documents.
• Conducts and properly documents all assigned inspections and inventories.
• Enters notes in electronic medical record.

Work Schedule : 8:00am-4:30pm or 9:30am-6:00pm, Monday-Friday with rotating weekends and holidays.

Compressed/Flexible :Not Authorized.

Telework : Not Authorized.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 95279A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 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

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 :

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• 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).
• 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.
• 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).

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).

Grade Determinations : Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower 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: (a) PTCB as a CPhT. OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT.

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.

Assignments. Pharmacy technicians at this level are nationally certified and can work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties. These pharmacy technicians mentor and train lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting. They assist advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participate in performance improvement initiatives. At this level, pharmacy technicians use independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy. They also function as staff pharmacy technicians in various locations of the pharmacy, including pharmacy contact centers and other non-traditional pharmacy locations, with minimal oversight.

Preferred Experience: 3 years of Pharmacy Technician experience.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07.

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving walking and standing for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing at least 50 lbs., and frequent bending and stooping.

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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