Pharmacy Technician

Summary

Pharmacy Technician's position is located at the North West Health Care Center (NWHCC) at 9939 State HWY 151 San Antonio, Texas 78251, at this level the Technician has impact on the operational aspects of the Pharmacy Service for providing timely, efficient, and accurate prescription filling and dispensing with minimal need of supervision. The incumbent must be nationally certified and can work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

VA Careers - Pharmacy :

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Major Duties:

The incumbent must have knowledge of Pharmacy Service, the Medical Center, VHA, and federal/state regulations/policies and procedures that affect Pharmacy Service: Prescription Processing; Filling; Ward-Stock/Inventory Management;Non-Hazardous Sterile/Extemporaneous Compounding; Automation; Controlled Substances; Dispensing; Procurement; Administrative.

• Ability to prepare all sterile compounding using aseptic technique in accordance with facility standing operating procedures. Competency must be maintained every 6 months to perform the assigned duty.
• Ability to interpret IV (ie., admixtures, piggybacks, syringes, TPNs etc..) medication order request by selecting, measuring, and mixing appropriate ingredients safely and aseptically, inspecting the final product for accuracy, labeling the product, recording all pertinent information for record of the preparation of the product, and delivering the product after final verification by a pharmacist.
• Understands and navigates basic automation package functions.
• Performs basic cleaning and maintenance of automation equipment.
• Possess a thorough knowledge of principles relating to controlled substances, and the requirements of medical center policy and federal and state regulations that apply to these medications.
• Assure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, directives, policies and procedures applying to the dispensing, storage, transfer, inventory and accountability of controlled substances.
• Accurately identify patients and dispense medications appropriately.
• Ability to properly package prescription medications for dispensation.
• Demonstrate ability to accurately navigate and utilize VistA, CPRS, and any other patient databases necessary to perform the job
• Establish patient eligibility status.
• Possess an advanced technical knowledge of drug and medication brand names, generic names/chemical names, general and special storage requirements, expiration date requirements, manufacturer/distributor sources, dosage forms, basic pharmaceutical calculations, applicable systems of weights and measures and medical terminology to interpret providers' orders and verify correct drug, dosage form, strength and dose, is prepared and/or distributed.
• Possess working knowledge of drug use and dosage forms available to be able to screen drug orders and assist the pharmacist in solving potential drug related problems.
• Fills on-demand clinic request for hospital ward or clinic stock.
• Inventory and restock hospital and inpatient pharmacy code blue crash carts/kits and other specialty emergency kits.

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Available

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 55943-F

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Help

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 :

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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 (GS-07 and above) . For this position, 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 Health career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

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 :

• Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06).
• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):
  1. Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
  2. Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
  3. Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
  4. Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
  5. Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
  6. Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.

Preferred Experience:

1. Minimum of 1-year previous experience with Pharmacy Automation to include Inventory Management. Examples of Automation (Scriptpro, OPTI, Omnicell).
2. Use of Endicia for mailing out medications; CMOP tracking of prescriptions.
3. Knowledge of brand/generic mediation names.
4. Ward stock inspections and ability/knowledge to fill Omnicell stock.
5. Ability/knowledge of communication on Microsoft Teams, and CCC PowerApp.
6. Knowledge of handling control medications.

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

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-07.

Physical Requirements: The incumbent will be responsible for promoting a culture of safety and will fully cooperate in efforts to improve patient safety and eradicate potential events including the reporting of events resulting in actual or potential injury to a patient. The incumbent must demonstrate knowledge of the reporting procedures involving safety issues relating to patients.

Education

GS-7: There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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.

Help

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.

Review our benefits

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.