Summary

This Pharmacy Technician position is in Pharmacy Services at the VA White River Junction Healthcare System - located at the White River Junction - VT location.

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
• 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)
• 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 Determinations: Pharmacy Technician - GS-08 In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-08 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07)
• 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)
• National Healthcareer Association (NHA) - Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)
• Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: 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
• Preferred Experience: Previous hospital pharmacy experience
• Retail pharmacy experience is acceptable
• 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: Principal duties of this position require repetitive use of hands and fingers (e.g. - preparing prescriptions - use of a computer keyboard - etc.)
• May require lifting and carrying light loads (up to 44lbs.) - including boxes - equipment - medical supplies - stock boxes etc.
• stooping or kneeling (e.g. - to pick up items from the floor - remove and replace items on lower shelves - and to file documents in lower file drawers - etc.)
• sitting - walking - or standing for long periods of time (4-8 hours)
• Ability to operate automation
• Normal ranges of hearing and vision are required to perform work and communicate effectively
• An ability to perform tasks.

Duties

• VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws 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 The purpose of this position is to serve as a Pharmacy Technician preparing medications by counting - pouring - weighing - measuring - and mixing or compounding oral and intravenous medications
• The incumbent may also prepare medications for distribution to inpatient wards and clinics and outpatients for pickup and mailing
• The pharmacy technician works in collaboration with other pharmacy technicians and responds to requests of pharmacists and other pharmacy supervisory staff.Pharmacy Technicians at this level have a higher level of responsibility for specialized areas and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty
• Duties may include - but are not limited to: Specialize in areas such as IV's - sterile compounding - oncology - controlled substances - automated equipment - procurement/inventory - clinical - lead technician
• Maintain competence by participating in staff development programs and successfully completing annual competencies Support Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners (Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) - anticoagulation - pain - mental health)
• Serve as subject matter expert and key resource in day-to-day specialized Pharmacy Technician duties
• Manage workflow in specialized areas while maintaining pharmacy regulations and VHA compliance
• Provide training and resources for staff who are new to the team - and/or Pharmacy Technicians in lower grades
• Responsible for maintaining Pharmacy inventory and procurement needs - such as stock quantities - expiration dates - ordering - receiving - returns for credit
• Communicate with Veterans - their families - visitors - and all VA staff in a courteous - tactful - and respectful manner
• Work Schedule: Varying Day Shifts - may include day shifts on weekends and holidays
• 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 Available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: F06757 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
• Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service
• This position is a AFGE Bargaining Unit position
• This position is covered by a special rate
• Due to a critical staffing shortage - 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action)
• The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted)
• In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held
• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until 6-12-2025
• The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 3-24-2025 - with subsequent cut-off dates weekly
• Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.