Please ensure you review the announcement in its entirety for required skills, documents and eligibility. The incumbent serves as the Pharmacy Technician in the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). Incumbent is a highly skilled technician and works under minimal supervision. This position requires the candidate to be certified by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and maintain their national Pharmacy Technician Recertification. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/20/2024. Basic Requirements for Pharmacy Technician: 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: A high school diploma or equivalent; or at least 3 months experience. Certification: Certification by the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is required at grades GS-6 and above. Loss of Credential: An employee in this occupation who fails to obtain licensure/certification/registration within the required time frame, or who fails to maintain the required licensure/certification/ registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. For occupations which require an active credential (licensure/certification/registration) at all grade levels, at the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies if a placement opportunity exists. For occupations which require an active credential (licensure/certification/registration) in assignments above the full-performance level only, at the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may remain at an appropriate lower grade level in the occupation when both of the following apply: the credential is not a requirement and a placement opportunity exists". Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all Title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Some of these provisions may not apply to this occupation. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure / certification / registration requirements that apply to this occupation. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation 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 required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that does not require a licensure / certification / registration, may be reassigned, promoted, or demoted within the occupation.-Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Such 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 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. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency: Pharmacy technicians appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Policy. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/15, PART II, APPENDIX G28. Grade Requirements: Creditable Experience: To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with the scope of pharmacy technician practice. Quality of Experience: To be creditable, pharmacy technician experience must be documented on the application and verified in an employment reference, or through other independent means. Part-time Experience: Part-time experience as a pharmacy technician is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a pharmacy technician would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-6 Pharmacy Technician Requirements Experience: One year experience at the next lower level, and must fully meet the KSAs at the next lower level (GS-5). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical GS-6 KSAs and the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*): GS-05: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Ability to operate and care for automated dispensing devices and equipment. Knowledge of, and ability to perform, aseptic technique. Knowledge of basic inventory procedures. Knowledge of pharmacy information systems. GS-6: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of Federal and state laws related to pharmacy practice. Knowledge of preparation, storage and distribution of medication products including those requiring special handling and documentation. Ability to use pharmacy information systems or operate pharmacy dispensing equipment. Knowledge of basic inventory procedures. Ability to communicate with patients and staff and direct questions to appropriate personnel. Assignments: Pharmacy technicians may be assigned to any area of the pharmacy including expanded distributive function assignments; for example assignment as team leaders for specific process improvement teams involving technical areas or performing more highly complex duties including preparation of oncology agents for clinical pharmacy specialists. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. ["Although not required, preferred experience, concentration, or a candidate's area of interest: 1 year experience with automated pharmacy equipment or equivalent technical experience 1 year as a certified pharmacy technician Pharmacy Operations & Automation Inventory Control & Management Major duties include, but are not limited to: Functions: Performs substantially in repacking bulk pharmaceuticals. Repackages tablets, capsules, etc., into specified quantities and various sized containers. Performs quality checks and appropriate mathematical calculations as outlined in the standard operating procedures. Replenishes pharmacy stock in automated pharmacy equipment, utilizing the computer inventory system. Rotates stock using FIFO (First-In, First-Out) and checks unusual conditions, such as discoloration referring such information to a supervisor/lead. Receives supplies, checks for shortages, tampering, breakage, deterioration, or expiration. Accurately interprets and correctly fills prescription in all areas of CMOP. Monitors and suggests changes for the improvement of workflow, work methods and priorities. Responsible for automatic replenishment of selected pharmaceutical items needed on a regular basis in specialty zones and control substance areas. Interacts with logistics personnel lo maintain efficient inventory flow of pharmaceutical needs. Gathers workload data to supervisor/lead in a timely manner. Witnesses and records the preparation of drugs for destruction by a third party company. Documents and notifies supervisory/lead of downtime problems, actions and resolutions for all interruptions in production that exceed 10 minutes. Assists with basic and complex inventorying activities and checks for outdated or unsuitable quality of pharmaceuticals. Participates in regularly scheduled inventories as assigned. Provides training for technicians, pharmacists, inspectors, students, etc. Follows written instructions with aseptic techniques for hazardous material handling such as oncology agents. Performs other duties as assigned. Education: Attends continuing education or in-service based on needs as assigned by their supervisor. Organization Support: Effectively and appropriately represents the CMOP and the VA Health Care system in all interactions. In so doing, actively avoids conflicts of interests or the appearance of conflict of interest when dealing with vendor representatives. Relationships with supervisors, other members of the CMOP management team, co-workers, patients, others within the organization, and the public are consistently cooperative and courteous in nature. Ensures that within the scope of duties, confidential information is safe guarded at all times. Prevents protected information from being disclosed to unauthorized sources, via any communication form (verbal, written, electronic, etc.). Protects individually assigned computer access codes. Protects assigned area access card and code. Monitors and controls area-access for non-CMOP individuals and immediately reports any security violations to management for action. Observes all safety, occupational health and fire protection program standards, regulations, practices and work methods. Reports unsafe or unhealthy working conditions when and where those conditions are found to exist. Customer Service: Relationships with management and co-workers are consistently courteous, respectful and cooperative in nature. Employee will ensure productivity is maintained at the established level for the program for which he/she is responsible. Employee must interact with customers in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner and consistently provide customers with accurate, timely Information that complies with internal procedures and policies. The employee handles conflicts in dealing with customers constructively and appropriately. Physical Requirements: Work is performed in a highly mechanized warehouse setting around production machinery. Moderate noise and traffic requires attention to safety. Some work areas involve a moderate risk requiring exercise of safety precautions when operating or working around the automated equipment (i.e., accumulators, moving belts, etc.). Wearing gloves is mandatory when handling specific medications. The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs. and bending/stooping/reaching. Hazardous Drugs The incumbent may be exposed to hazardous drugs in final dosage form at this workplace, particularly in areas where routine pharmacy tasks, such as handling stock bottles, opening bottles to count tablets or capsules, preparation of prescriptions for dispensing, waste disposal, and spill response are performed. Work Schedule: 40 hours per week; Monday-Friday 3:30pm-12am Telework: Not Available Functional Statement #: Pharmacy Technician/ FS# 19573A"]

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