Created at: April 18, 2026 01:13
Company: Veterans Health Administration
Location: Richmond, VA, 23201
Job Description:
The certified pharmacy technician procurement/inventory at the GS-9 level is responsible for assisting in the oversight for all prescription and nonprescription medications and supply purchasing and inventory in a highly complex area of Pharmacy Service at Central Virginia VA Healthcare System.
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. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. ยง 7403(f). 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. 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). 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: (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) 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. (4) 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. (5) 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. 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). Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician, GS-09. (1) Experience. One year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the 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. Pharmacy Technician (Procurement/Inventory). 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 serve as an ordering officer delegated by the national acquisition center contracting officer for the purpose of ordering against the national pharmacy prime vendor (PPV) contract and national blanket purchase agreements (BPA) for pharmacy. They are responsible for ordering medications and supplies from required sources and meeting contract compliance while maintaining multiple complex accounts with the PPV. They utilize the Government purchase card program for direct orders up to the micro purchase threshold per VA financial policy. Pharmacy technicians at this level are responsible for regulatory and formulary requirements to meet patient needs within budgetary limits.??????? Preferred Experience: Purchasing pharmaceutical products, must qualify to hold Government credit card, shipping/receiving products, hazardous drug handling, SIM experience, proper storage and handling of pharmaceuticals 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-9. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Administrative i. Continuously analyzes and reassess priorities to ensure workload demands are accomplished in the most effective, efficient, and economic manner. ii. Effectively evaluates pharmacy activities to assist pharmacy managers in obtaining short- and long-range goals and objectives. iii. Assists pharmacy manager in identifying areas of effort duplication and developing solutions to streamline processes, reduce waste, save costs, and improve patient care. iv. Reports potential and/or actual medication errors. Encourages pharmacy technicians to report actual and/or potential medication errors or adverse events v. Assists in quality improvement by participating in service process assessments and action teams and by continually seeking to improve the service. vi. Knowledgeable in and ensures other procurement staff follow all department, pharmacy service, station level, VISN, National and VHA, DEA, policies, and procedures. vii. Demonstrates efforts to improve patient satisfaction, lower cost, and improve quality and timeliness. viii. Works constructively as a team member, assisting co-workers in tasks that support staff, visitors, and other customers in achieving service toward facility and network goals. ix. Maintains continuous oversight on the security of pharmacy inventory and storage areas and reports to management any inconsistencies or concerns. x. Attends all procurement and pharmacy meetings as required. Pharmaceutical Purchasing and Distribution i Serves as ordering officer for pharmacy service, delegated by the VA National Acquisition Center while maintaining annual training requirements. ii Trains new procurement staff on departments standard operating procedures and provides oversight to ensure competencies are met. Re-trains staff as dictated. iii Initiates ordering requirements and provides guidance to ordering officers for pharmaceuticals, specialty, and supply items through pharmacy prime vendors multi complex accounts or other sources using various methods of payment. Responsible for adherence to federal contracts and compliance with federal regulations regarding open market, ensuring inventory control through perpetual evaluation. iv Provides oversight in determining ordering intervals and stock levels appropriate to meet changes in formulary, brand to AB rated generic drugs, contract changes, conversions, new drug indications including backorders and seasonal changes. v Provides guidance on all types of pharmaceuticals including controlled and non-controlled drugs within established VA ordering guidelines, policies, and procedures within inventory management specialized area with the understanding of proper budget utilization. vi Incumbent may be required to obtain the necessary certification to order narcotic medications through pharmacy prime vendor. vii Purchases using National contracts (NAT), Federal supply schedules (FSS), Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) and open market etc. to ensure compliance with federal acquisition regulations, and policy, understands and provides guidance to ordering officers on contracting hierarchy of all purchases. viii Process receipt of inventory for the purpose of drug accountability or other inventory management system. ix Utilizes government issued credit cards for micro purchase limits with understanding of when to use; while maintaining required proper documentation, and reconciliation of receipt of all orders in a timely manner for auditing and accountability purposes, training, etc. x Uploads and maintains proper documentation for the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) per the FDA requirements. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. 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