Summary This is a full time Pharmacy Technician position at Harry S Truman VA located in Columbia, Missouri. Veteran's Preference is not applicable to this announcement. References: Please provide "References" with application. At a minimum two current or former supervisors or from individuals who were in a position of a professional nature. Indicated if the Hiring Manager may contact. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf Duties include but are not limited to: Conducts patient consults Understands specific handling considerations, storage, distribution and disposal of medications. Routinely inspects storage environments such as refrigerators and freezers. Reads and interprets orders, and pulls non-controlled medications and independently fills orders without supervision for dispensing pharmacist review. Reconstitutes simple oral medications with secondary review by the dispensing pharmacist Provides patient education on pharmacy topic such as the refill process, relaying clinical questions to a pharmacist. Serves as stock technician by accurately shelving non-controlled medications, packaging ward stock, etc. Pulls outdates and properly disposes outdated medications and can assist in inventory counts with the exception of the narcotics vault. Has technical knowledge of equipment and supplies used to pack and mail completed orders. Hands off mail to UPS and USPS representatives picking up Pharmacy mail. Uses VistA, CPRS, ScriptPro, Robot, Automated Dispensing Cabinets (ADC) and portals. Can enter and access clinical patient information. Cleans and restocks the ScriptPro and the Robot. Can restock the ADCs. Conducts point of care and ward stock inspections for WWVA clinics that stock medications. Cleans counting trays and wipes down non-controlled dispensing counters at the end of each day. Provides telephone support for patients, providers, and nursing staff. Answers inquiries related to general, non-clinical/non-medical issues or procedures, and refers clinical/medical questions to a pharmacist. Dispenses completed/verified medication orders to patients under the supervision of a pharmacist. Delivers medication and supplies to non-Pharmacy clinical areas. Completes daily reports as directed. Opens mail and scans prescription orders before delivering the orders to the triage technician. Performs pharmacy administrative duties such as filing filled orders and ward stock requests, copying medication guides, and verifying medications that fall under Safety Data Sheets are documented. Delivers and discusses restock orders to the Purchasing Agent. Notifies the GEMS Coordinator when the Hazardous Materials container needs to be emptied. Consistently displays competence with best practice standards for the Pharmacy. Complies with Medical Center Memorandums, including hand hygiene, appropriate personnel attire, and so forth. Keeps up with TMS training requirements. Work Schedule: Intermittent Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Benefits: Pro rated to actual time worked. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. 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. Education or Experience: None required. For all grade levels that accept both education and experience to qualify, equivalent combinations of qualifying education and experience that total at least 100% are qualifying. 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). 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. Grade Determinations:GS-3 Pharmacy Technician Experience and Education. One year of post-secondary education. OR, Six months of general experience. OR, Student Technician. A student enrolled in an approved nationally accredited pharmacy technician program for an occupation identified in 38 U.S.C. 7405(a)(1)(A) or (B) may be appointed on a temporary full-time, part-time or intermittent basis under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. 7405(a)(1)(D) for a period not to exceed two years or the duration of the individual's program. GS-4 Pharmacy Technician Experience and Education. Completion of two years of post-secondary coursework related to pharmacy (e.g., 12 semester hours of science and mathematics courses). OR, Completion of one of the following: Six months of experience, that demonstrated knowledge of medication or medical field practice. OR, Successful completion of a military or nationally recognized pharmacy technician education/training program. American Society of Health System Pharmacists® (ASHP), American Pharmacist Association (APHA), Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), PTCB or NHA are examples of acceptable professional organizations recognizing such training programs. NOTE: Training courses recognized by PTCB and NHA are not actual certifications. OR, One year of experience equivalent to next lower grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Ability to follow policies and procedures. Ability to maintain appropriate files. Ability to communicate with patients and other health professionals. Ability to follow both written and verbal instructions. Ability to operate office software/equipment to include, computers, software applications and printers. GS-5 Pharmacy Technician Experience and Education. Successful completion of four years post-secondary education with courses related to pharmacy (e.g., 48 semester hours of science, mathematics, pharmacy) or a bachelor's degree. OR, An associate's degree in pharmacy technician or technology (48 semester hours of concentrated pharmacy technician training). OR, One year of experience equivalent to next lower grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge of basic pharmacy operations. Knowledge of pharmaceuticals to perform duties in pharmacy functional areas. Knowledge of pharmaceutical nomenclature (including generic, chemical and proprietary names of drug). Ability to fill prescriptions. Ability to use pharmacy information systems or basic pharmacy dispensing equipment with oversight. GS-6 Pharmacy Technician Experience. One year of experience equivalent to next lower grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. 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). 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). Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination. Grade Determinations: The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 3 to GS 6 Preferred Experience: 2-5 years of pharmacy technician experience; 3 years experience with automated systems; 3 years of experience with VA software; currently working in pharmacy or other healthcare-related fields. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. 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.
