The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center is in the active and thriving community of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, the "Gateway to the Ozarks." Poplar Bluff has a population of 17,000, and cost of living in the area is among the lowest in the country. We are within a two-hour drive of several large cities and have a small airport. The area is quite scenic and outdoor recreational opportunities abound in nearby national and state parks and forests. Come, join our team! 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. Education or Experience: 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. Grandfathering Provision: 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). 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. Grade Determinations: (1) Pharmacy Technician, GS6 Education or Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of Federal and state laws related to pharmacy practice. (b) Knowledge of preparation, storage and distribution of medication products including those requiring special handling and documentation. (c) Ability to use pharmacy information systems or operate pharmacy dispensing equipment. (d) Knowledge of basic inventory procedures. (e) Ability to communicate with patients and staff and direct questions to appropriate personnel. (3) Assignments. Pharmacy technicians at the full performance level may fill orders, dispense/deliver medications using automated systems or provide technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs. Duties will include delivery of medications to floors/patients, filling medications for the pharmacist to review, checking for expired medications, answering phones with appropriate disposition, preparing sterile products (when applicable) and assisting with basic inventory management such as putting up stock and identifying when medications need to be ordered. Reference: VA HANDBOOK 5005/159 PART II APPENDIX G28 PHARMACY TECHNICIAN QUALIFICATION STANDARD 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-06. Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45lbs and over); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (3 hours per day); standing (8 hours per day); kneeling (2 hours per day); repeated bending (4 hours per day); both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; far vision correctable in one eye 20/20 and 20/40 in the other; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted). ["VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws John J. Pershing VAMC is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans. Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf Major Duties: Performs a wide variety of complex technical procedures and is involved in the activities of all areas of the pharmacy on a rotating basis. 1. Unit Dose Medication Management. a. Performs final review of medication (prepared by another technician) to be dispensed to inpatient areas (unit dose carts), and/or fills unit dose carts independently without secondary review. b. Inventories and replenishes emergency carts without a second review. c. Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment such as the Script Pro, Laminar flow hoods, Pyxis control dispensing units, etc. d. Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile) without a second review. This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used. e. After orders are reviewed by a pharmacist for therapeutic propriety, the technician reviews orders for technical accuracy and converts the order, if necessary, so that the item dispensed corresponds to the drug and dose ordered. f. Performs final verification of simple, non-sterile compounds. g. 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. h. Assists in total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services. i. Responsible for the automatic replenishment of oral, injectable, and other medications. j. Responsible for and to complete monthly ward inspections to ensure approved ward stock drugs are properly stored. k. Accurately prints BCMA labels and affixes to correct drugs as deemed appropriate. Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm (possible tour range from 7am-7pm) with rotating late nights/weekends/holidays. Functional Statement #: 000000 Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)"]
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.
