This position is for a certified Outpatient Pharmacy Technician above the full performance level GS-7, within the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System at the Jacksonville 1VA Clinic. Pharmacy technicians at this grade level are nationally certified by PTCB or NHA and can work autonomously, using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties.
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 Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). 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). Grandfathering Provision. Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA 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. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. 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 REQUIREMENTS Pharmacy Technician, GS-07 Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-6) 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: The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board as a CPhT. Or, The National Healthcareer Association as a ExCPT. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work. Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent. Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers. Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students. Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution. Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases. *** Preferred Experience *** Previous pharmacy technician experience in an outpatient setting. This position is above Full Performance Level. Reference. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements. The work requires some physical exertion such as long periods of standing, walking, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items. Standing and walking could include periods of up to 60 minutes which can include escorting patients throughout the facility. Lifting could include items up to 40 pounds.
The incumbent is expected to accomplish all duties related to stocking, delivering, inventory, inspections, assembling ward orders, prescription assembly, controlled substances distribution, sterile compounding (including hazardous drugs), unit-dose drug packaging, dispensing, distribution, and any other function related to pharmaceutical practices. The incumbent performs all duties under the supervision and is expected to acquire and maintain a high degree of accurate productivity and performance. Duties and functions include but are not limited to the following: Accurately interpret, fills, and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification. Assures the timely completion of all prescriptions. Verifies the patient's identification following the Medical Center's policies (i.e., double patient identifiers) and that the patient has received all prescriptions (i.e., refrigerated, controlled substances, bulk medications, etc.) Utilizes automation dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff following all safety and QA procedures. Reports automation malfunctions timely the supervisor as appropriate Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly condition by assuring that all stock and equipment are in assigned places and all shelves and counters are free of dust and debris in order to create optimal work areas. Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines, including the storage of high-risk, look a-like sound a-like, hazardous, controlled substances, corrosive chemical, flammable liquids, and refrigerated items. Receives, checks, rotates, and places in stock all items received from pharmacy procurement section and identifies and reconciles any discrepancies to assure correct items have been received. Records expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system upon receipt. Perform monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed. Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements. Assists in training and orientation of new staff technicians, interns, students, externs, interns, residents, and professional and non-professional staff members. Demonstrates the ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality. Performs duties of all lower grade technicians as needed and assists higher level technicians as needed. Participates in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy and assists in quality improvement activities by participating in assessment and action teams that will improve service as assigned. Completes all National, VISN, local, and Pharmacy mandatory trainings in a timely manner. Assures that the correct medication is filled by using bar code scanning on stock bottles. Supports automation by manually completing prescriptions not processed through the automation dispensing machine. Complies with all VHA, Medical Center, and Pharmacy regulations, directives, policies, and procedures. Completes monthly outdates and ward inspections of assigned areas. May compound sterile and non-sterile preparations utilizing aseptic techniques following USP <795>, <797>, <800> guidelines and assist in maintaining all required records related to sterile and non-sterile compounding. Reviews anticipated inventory needs and notifies procurement technician in a timely manner of products required. Ability to evaluate, analyze, and coordinate workflow independently in the assigned area. Additional duties as assigned. May be assigned to work in other areas of pharmacy service as deemed necessary by the Chief, Pharmacy Service or Supervisor. Work Schedule: An 8 hour tour, Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 am - 5:30 pm. Employees may be required to work days, evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays and/or compressed, tours on rotating schedule. The hours may vary per the needs of the service and will rotate, on a fair and equitable basis, to include weekends and holidays. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55348F