Summary

Pharmacy Technician in the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) Clinical Contact Center are part of the an interdisciplinary healthcare team. The incumbent is a certified pharmacy technician who is responsible for the technical management of all patient care assistance activities. Also responsible for ensuring that the daily work assignments in this area are completed in a timely - efficient - and customer-oriented manner.

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
• 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)
• National Health career Association (NHA) - Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)
• 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)
• 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
• Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician - GS-07: Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower 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: PTCB as a CPhT
• NHA 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
• Assignment
• 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 are nationally certified and can work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties
• These pharmacy technicians mentor and train lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting
• They assist advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participate in performance improvement initiatives
• At this level - pharmacy technicians use independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy
• They also function as staff pharmacy technicians in various locations of the pharmacy - including pharmacy contact centers and other non-traditional pharmacy locations - with minimal oversight
• 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-07
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service.

Duties

• VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Major duties include but are not limited to the following: Work collaboratively with VISN programs - services - and interdisciplinary team members to provide access to care and meet the needs of Veterans - their family members - and/or legal representatives via various available contact modalities to include but not limited to - telephone calls - secure messaging - chat - text messaging - and video regarding a broad range of topics including medication refills and renewals - basic billing inquiries - and procedural pharmacy activities
• Routinely reviews computer medication profiles for therapeutic duplication - prescription non-compliance - allergies - and drug interactions
• Seeks assistance with identified individuals from a Clinical Pharmacist or supervisor for further evaluation - if needed
• Processes and submits patient requests for new prescription orders and renewal requests - including controlled substances - into the computer accurately - thoroughly - and in a timely manner
• Uses approved VISN Clinical Contact Center Pharmacy protocols when appropriate to satisfy patient medication requests
• Consistently documents patient contact and resolution in VISN Clinical Contact Center software and/or Electronic Health Records (EHR) to include but not limited to - what was requested - what action was taken - and any other information which may be pertinent during future research
• Assists in the documentation of medication variances
• Assists in training lower graded technicians and technician students
• Assists in the completion of workload for other VISN Clinical Contact Center Pharmacy Services in the event of Natural Disasters - low staffing - and other contingency needs
• Performs all duties of lower graded technicians - if required
• Actively and diligently treats all Veterans with respect and utmost dignity
• Seeks to solve Veteran's concerns at first contact
• When required - refers to other VA resources to assist in the resolution process
• Always resolves all Veteran issues in a timely and caring manner with emphasis on providing first contact resolution
• Seeks assistance from designated Lead Technician - a pharmacist or supervisor when responding to unusual questions or when reasonable attempts to satisfy a caller have been unsuccessful
• Follows applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files
• Ensures Electronic Health Record(EHR) access to all sites serviced are maintained
• Participates in continuous daily improvement and VISN VA Health Connect initiatives
• Maintains National Pharmacy Technician Certification
• Completes additional duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday to Friday - Rotational Shift Schedule Range 6:00am to 9:00pm (PST) including nights - week\\ends - and holidays Telework: This is a remote position
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized