Summary

The GS-8 pharmacy technician serves and provides specialized functions in anticoagulation - controlled substances - automation and phones. Rotate through anticoagulation clinic and also have responsibility in any of the lower grade Pharmacy Technician tasks. Must demonstrate independent technical judgment - as well as comprehensive and thorough working knowledge of the most complex or difficult practices and procedures.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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. § 7403(f)
• Education or Experience: None required
• 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
• Certification: For positions above the full performance level - the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) - Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). - OR National Healthcareer Association (NHA) - Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)
• Grade Determinations: GS-8 Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below
• Certification: For positions above the full performance level - the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: PTCB as a CPhT - OR NHA as a ExCPT Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs)In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for all GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment - if indicated: Comprehensive knowledge of concepts - principles - methodology and policies in a specialized area or section of pharmacy (such as sterile compounding - controlled substances - automation - clinical pharmacy - contact center - etc.) Note: See Specialized Area in the Definitions Section
• Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures
• Ability to evaluate - analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy
• Assignments: 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 have a higher level of responsibility for specialized areas of pharmacy and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty
• Pharmacy Technician: Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding - oncology - controlled substances - medication history review - clinical specialist (anticoagulation - pain - infectious diseases) - clinical informatics - automation - immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession
• The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area
• The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products - filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations - taking medication histories and counseling patients - managing automation - managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area
• Preferred Experience: Two years of outpatient pharmacy experience and experience with managing controlled substances
• 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-8. Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting (15-44 pounds) - Moderate carrying (15-44 pounds) - Reaching above shoulder - Use of fingers - Standing - Repeated bending - Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4 - Ability to distinguish basic colors - Mental & emotional Stability Environmental Factors: Constant noise - Extensive Keyboard/Mouse - Working closely with others - Working alone

Duties

• Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf Functions or Scope: Enhances Pharmacy quality improvement/quality control by participating in process action teams - reporting medication errors - and continually seeking ways to improve the service provided to patients and other customers
• Compounds oral non-sterile medications
• calculates and converts to proper weights and measures to assure accurate manufacture of final product
• performs record keeping for compounding activities
• Have strong customer service skills and be able to assist patients over the telephone and the window Provide clinic support through appointment scheduling - faxing and mailing - preparation of teaching materials - and filing Schedule and link clinic consults to enrollment appointments for new patients in the anticoagulation clinic Schedules clinic follow-up appointments Utilize and maintains the Recall Reminder - Electronic Waiting - and Veteran Choice Maintains a working knowledge of scheduling and anticoagulation directives and terminology
• Provide patient education on pharmacy topics Evaluate and analyze the workflow to coordinate activities in support of clinical pharmacy specialists Understand and apply Medical Center policies and procedures Interact directly with patients and family members to support clinic activities Communicate effectively with doctors - nurses - pharmacists - laboratory technicians - schedulers - and other healthcare personnel Receive and triage lab results faxed from the community Triage clinical telephone calls Document communication with patients in CPRS Notify pharmacist of issues related to prescription duplication - medication compliance - allergies or adverse reactions - and INR's out of therapeutic range which are identified through patient communication or medical record review Notify pharmacist when complications related to anticoagulation therapy are identified Monitor clinic records for patients who fail to show for scheduled appointments and initiate reminders to ensure continuum of care Evaluate and analyze data from clinic databases to generate periodic quality assessment reports Receives new stock and returned stock into inventory and ensures documentation into the VistA controlled substance package
• Prepares and fills controlled substance outpatient orders from the central pharmacy vault utilizing the VistA controlled substances software and automated dispensing equipment
• Independently conducts 72-hour - ATC - and biennial inventories
• Participates and interacts with the Controlled Substance Inspectors when conducting the monthly-unannounced inventory
• Prepares report for Pharmacy Supervisor and Controlled Substance Coordinator when discrepancies are identified
• Analyses discrepancies to determine root causes and determines appropriate corrective action following established standard operating procedures
• Prepares controlled substances for destruction - documents such activities in the VistA controlled substance package and interacts with contracted services to effect destruction
• Independently provides controlled substance training for technicians - pharmacists - and inspectors
• provides information to pharmacists and other pharmacy technicians regarding status of controlled substance medication orders
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 9:30am - 6:00pm or 10:30am - 7:00pm w/ occ weekends and holidays Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications - or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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 Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized