This position is assigned to the outpatient pharmacy located within the VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Hampton VA Medical Center, Pharmacy Service. The incumbent is expected to accomplish all duties related to stocking, delivering, inventory, inspections, assembling ward orders, prescription assembly, controlled substances distribution, unit-dose drug packaging, dispensing, distribution, and any other function related to pharmaceutical practices. 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: 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: 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). National Healthcareer 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). Grandfathering Provision: Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician, GS-07 Experience. One year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the lower grade level (GS-06). Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: PTCB as a CPhT. NHA as a ExCPT. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated: Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts, and theories providing for sound independent work. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent. Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other member of the healthcare team, Veterans, and external customers. Ability to train new pharmacy technicians and students. Ability to dispense medications 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: Outpatient pharmacy experience in a VA setting. Reference: VA Handbook 5005/159, Part II, Appendix G28; Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standards dated November 07, 2023. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. Physical Requirements: Physical requirements for this position are as follows: Light lifting, 15-25 pounds with occasional heavier lifting. Light carrying, 15-25 pounds with occasional heavier carrying. Straight pulling (up to 2 hours). Pushing (up to 2 hours). Reaching above shoulder. Use of fingers. Repeated bending. Walking (up to 8 hours). Standing (up to 8 hours). Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as needed. ["Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: General: Accurately interpret, fills, and package outpatient prescriptions for window and mail efficiently to achieve a goal of twenty-minute window waiting time and two-day mail turnaround time. Prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification. Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly condition by ensuring that all stock and equipment are in assigned places and all shelves and counters are free of dust and debris to create optimal work areas. Ensures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines, including the storage of high-risk, look a-like sound a-like, hazardous, controlled substances, corrosive chemical, flammable liquids, and refrigerated items. Records expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system upon receipt. Perform monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed. Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements. Reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile) and dispenses medication or sterile products. Resolves pharmacy/medication issues and functions as first-line telephone contact with other members of the healthcare team, veterans, and external customers. Addresses telephone requests in a timely and courteous fashion, processing, for example, refill request, etc. Forwards calls beyond the technician's scope to a pharmacist or supervisor. Attends orientation, education, and training programs. Reviews literature and other materials pertaining to the practice of pharmacy. Completes all educational requirements and mandatory training programs required by the agency in the stipulated time-period. Completes all competency/skills assessments as required in the stipulated time-period. Assists in training and orientation of new staff technicians, interns, and students. Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program consisting of students, externs, interns, residents, and professional and nonprofessional staff members. Properly operates all equipment in the assigned area(s) in an efficient manner and assist with troubleshooting automated dispensing equipment (ADE), other assigned equipment's or technology platforms/databases. Demonstrates the ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality. Assists in quality improvement activities by participating in assessment and action teams that will improve service as assigned. Assists higher level technicians as needed Completes all National, VISN, local, and Pharmacy mandatory trainings in a timely manner. Maintains national certification with PTCB or ExCPT Complies with all VHA, Medical Center, and Pharmacy regulations, directives, policies, and procedures. Outpatient Pharmacy Activities: Prescription Assembly Assembles prescriptions properly with the correct drug, strength, quantity, auxiliary labels, and prescription labels. for window dispensing and mail delivery Ensures that the correct medication is filled by using bar code scanning on stock bottles. Supports automation by manually completing prescriptions not processed through the automation dispensing machine. Ensures the timely completion of all prescriptions. Window Pick- Up (Dispensing) Verifies the patient's identification following the Medical Center's policies (i.e., double patient identifiers) Verifies that the patient receives the correct prescriptions by using VA software (i.e., VISTA and barcode scanning) Verifies that the patient has received all prescriptions (i.e., refrigerated, controlled substances, bulk medications, etc.) Utilizes VA software programs to check narratives and problem solve deliveries for patients with no physical address. Work Schedule: 7a - 11p; 8 Hour Shift; Varies based on the needs of the service. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
