Summary The Pharmacy Technician acts as a representative of the Pharmacy Service in a variety of pharmacy related functions within the Healthcare System. This position functions both in the Inpatient and Outpatient Pharmacy settings, as well as other areas throughout the VA Medical Center as deemed appropriate for patient care and service needs. Responsibilities Although the primary assignment of work schedule and tours may be in either the Inpatient or the Outpatient Pharmacy service area, the incumbent will be trained and expected to function and maintain competency in both areas as needed and assigned. As deemed necessary by the Pharmacy Supervisor(s) in order to meet the needs of the service; the incumbent may be assigned to work in any Pharmacy service area, may be assigned any duties, and may be periodically asked to volunteer or be assigned to work irregular shifts, weekends, holidays, or be called back in for emergencies. The physical demands of the work environment may involve prolonged standing and/or walking. Time will be spent with VistA order entry. Work involves some sitting and lifting, pushing, or pulling of weights up to 50 pounds. The incumbent will be subjected to bending and stooping. The incumbent is responsible for providing a full range of pharmaceutical service functions including: Answers pharmacy phone calls timely and triages them appropriately. Collects, trends and reports drug use evaluation (DUE) data for quality improvement purposes as required. Actively assists in quality improvement activities by participating in Medical Center and service-level process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services. Identifies basic therapeutic problems such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alerts the Clinical Pharmacist (CP) to the possible need for clinical intervention. Assists with inventory management and procurement of medicines, monitors inventory and relays information to the Pharmacy procurement staff. This also includes placing stock in proper storage areas, rotating stock on shelves as required, and removing/replacing outdated items and notifying procurement for replacement. Provides training to new or existing Pharmacy staff to ensure competencies are developed and maintained. Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile). This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measurements for the amount of drug or solution to be used/dispensed. Possess an advanced technical knowledge of drug and medication brand names, generic/chemical names, general and special storage requirements, expiration date requirements, manufacturer and distributor sources, dosage forms, applicable systems of weights and measures. Conducts monthly ward inspections of patient care areas. Assists with adverse drug event reporting in VA Adverse Drug Event Reporting System (VAADERs). Performs all the duties of lower graded technicians, as required. VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Work Schedule: Variable shifts Monday - Friday 7:00am - 11:00pm with Rotating Weekend Shifts Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Requirements 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. 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. 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). 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-7 Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-6, such as but not limited to: filling orders, dispense/deliver medications using automated systems or provide technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs. 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. Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: (a) PTCB as a CPhT. OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT. 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. Preferred Experience: Experience in hospital settings. PTCB Certification Necessary. 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-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07. Physical Requirements: This position requires prolonged standing and walking with a moderate amount of stooping, reaching and lifting, and pushing and pulling. A technician may be required to lift, push/pull up to 40lbs. A dispensing system may be used for varying lengths of time. Pharmacy technicians may be required to work irregular tours, weekends, and the holidays as assigned. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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.
