Summary

The Pharmacy Technician is responsible for the first line management of all controlled substances handled by the pharmacy department. Mandated accountability and control of scheduled drugs makes this a particularly sensitive position that is considered critical by all levels of management. This position requires thorough knowledge and understanding of federal, VA, and facility regulations regarding controlled substances and pharmacy processes.

Qualifications

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
• (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
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service
• 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: Pharmacy Technician, GS-08: Experience
• One year experience at the next lower level and must fully meet the KSAs at the next lower level
• In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs and the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*): Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: (a) Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology and policies in a specialized area or section of pharmacy (such as sterile compounding, controlled substances, automation, clinical pharmacy, contact center, etc.) Note: See Specialized Area.in the Definitions Section
• (b) Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures
• (c) Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy
• Assignments
• For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• Pharmacy technicians at this level have a higher level of responsibility for specialized areas of pharmacy and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty
• Pharmacy Technician
• Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding, oncology, controlled substances, medication history review, clinical specialist (anticoagulation, pain, infectious diseases), clinical informatics, automation, immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession
• The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area
• The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products, filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations, taking medication histories and counseling patients, managing automation, managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area
• Preferred Experience: Pharmacy technician-controlled substance officer at VA Pharmacy technician-controlled substance officer at IHS/DoD Pharmacy technician at IHS/DoD Pharmacy technician at retail chain/independent 3 years of outpatient pharmacy experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-08
• Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over
• Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds
• Light lifting, under 15 pounds
• Heavy carrying, 45 pounds and over
• Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds
• Light carrying, under 15 pounds
• Reaching above shoulder
• Use of fingers
• Both hands required
• Walking
• Standing
• Near vision correctable at 13"
• to 16"
• to Jaeger 1 to 4
• Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other
• Ability to distinguish basic colors
• Hearing (aid permitted)
• Emotional and Mental Stability.

Duties

• Controlled Substances Duties of this position include but are not limited to assisting with ordering and being responsible for receipt, storage, filling, dispensing, transferring, inventory, waste, and destruction of controlled substances per Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Handbooks and Directives, as well as all Office of Inspector General (OIG) Directives and Health System Policy
• These duties will be performed at least 25% of the time
• The incumbent must be highly organized and demonstrate a concerned and critical attitude toward accuracy, detail, control, and loss management, and function with minimal supervision
• In addition to working in the pharmacy vault, the incumbent will be responsible for performing all other pharmacy technician duties as assigned
• 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 Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 4:00pm -midnight
• rotating weekends and holidays if need arises Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 50585-F/Pharmacy Technician Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized