The incumbent practices as a Pharmacy Technician in the Inpatient Pharmacy of the New Mexico VA Medical Center. This area serves adult and elderly Veterans needing care within the New Mexico VAMC system 24 hours a day 7 days a week, nights, weekends, and holidays. Provides support for hospital staff by reading and interpreting orders, obtaining proper medication or material in the proper dose and strength.
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. (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. 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-07. (1) Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. (2) 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. (3) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work. (b) Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent. (c) Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers. (d) Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students. (e) Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution. (f) Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The work requires the regular and recurring use of a computer monitor and prolonged periods of sitting. However, based on the secondary duty assignments, the work may require regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing for prolonged periods of time, walking, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 40 pounds and bending/stooping.
Medication Management Reads and interprets prescriptions, obtains proper medication or material in the proper strength and dosage form, determines proper amount and counts, pours, or measures; affixes proper label; and records required data on Pharmacy's copy of the prescription order. For unit-dose medications, performs final review of medication when prepared by another technician, to be dispensed to inpatient areas (med-carts, ward stock), and/or fills unit-dose carts independently without secondary review when necessary. Compounds and/or reconstitutes sterile IV medications. This includes completing detailed compounding records, environmental documentation for the compounding area and cleaning records for the compounding area. Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral and external medications (non-sterile). This includes converting to proper weights and measures the amount of medication or solution to be used. 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. Understands requirements of USP 795, USP 797, USP 800, disposal of hazardous materials, safe medication distribution and electronic prescription processing. Inventory Management Inventories and replenishes emergency medication carts and kits with appropriate medications and supplies. Conducts ward inspections of assigned medication storage areas in inpatient nursing units, clinical units, Pharmacy storage areas and other assigned areas. Maintains, verifies, stocks, and replaces outdates in patient care areas and the areas' automated dispensing machines. Ensures all look alike, sound alike, high alert, refrigerated medications are stored properly according to manufactures recommendations and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requirement. Monitors the inventory needs of inpatient care areas, relays this information to the appropriate Pharmacy personnel. This includes placing stock in proper storage areas, rotating stock on shelves and removing/replacing outdated items. Monitors refrigerator temperature on a daily basis in pharmacy service. Assists with inventory management and ordering of medicines and supplies. Pharmacy Automation Provides more advanced troubleshooting and issue reporting for pharmacy automation equipment and other systems. Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy automation equipment. Provides training on the use of and maintenance of pharmacy automation equipment, as needed. Work Schedule: Rotational Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized