The Columbia VA Health Care System is currently recruiting for the position of an Automation Pharmacy Technician. The incumbent will provide support to inpatient pharmacy operations by performing duties related to restocking medications, assisting staff with troubleshooting machine malfunctions and discrepancies, and maintaining oversight of inventory in automated dispensing machines located throughout the medical center and clinics.

Duties

The Automation Pharmacy Technician is expected to be a multifunctional technician and will perform at the full performance level in the Pharmacy. Assists inpatient Pharmacists with filling and delivering of new medication orders and/or missing dose reports in a timely manner to ensure appropriate patient care Reviews, prioritizes, fills, and delivers medications for clinics and wards using automated system inventories Monitors all areas and automated dispensing machines for discontinued or expired medications to assure both safe and cost-efficient drug delivery Maintains all required records regarding distribution, lot numbers, expiration, and packaging for all clinic areas Assists in drug accountability by charging all stock items that leave out of the pharmacy into the production menu before the end of shift Monitors inventory needs in patient care areas and relays this information to Automated Dispensing Machine (ADM) Clinical Pharmacist; including placing stock in proper storage areas, rotating stock to reduce loss due to expiration dating, and monitoring ADM par levels based on usage Reconstitutes oral and external non-sterile products without second level review; including calculating and converting to proper measures the amount of drug or solutions to be used Facilitates the return of all unused medications from the wards and clinics for proper credit or destruction, as appropriate Operates and maintains pharmacy equipment, including automated dispensing stations and bar code repackaging machines Responsible for manufacturing of parenterals/admixtures and other complex pharmaceuticals Uses standard protocols to determine appropriate expiration date for each prepared product Uses judgement to determine appropriate levels for preparing product; uses current patient demand, product expiration and staffing levels to make sound decisions Distributes, delivers, stores, and destroys prepared parenteral admixtures as appropriate and according to policy Inspects inventories in IV area routinely to assure proper stock availabilities based on increase/decreased patient demand; maintains IV compounding area in a "ready" state for compounding Ensures correct use and maintenance of tablet counting machines, labeling machines, and all other equipment used for medication preparation and dispensing Determines and properly documents economical quantity needed, expiration dates, etc Assures all appropriate records are maintained Follows pharmaceutical standard practices when compounding solutions, ointments, powders, etc.; including understanding methods of calculation, compounding techniques, inspecting final product for suitability and elegance, labeling and record maintenance Conducts ward and clinic inspections to ensure that medications are stored properly, have not exceeded their expiration date, stock is not excessive, and that storage complies with all VA and Joint Commission guidelines Inventories and replenishes emergency crash carts Maintains a training/education manual for the focus area assigned Provides training to new or existing staff so that these competencies are maintained Assists Automated Dispensing Machine and Sterile Compounding Pharmacist with inpatient quality improvement activities, and continually seeks to improve services Responsible for proper packaging and documentation of single unit of use medications for inpatient use, rotation stock and checking expiration dates routinely, delivering medications to inpatient wards and outpatient clinics, and conducting routine ward inspections Assists with the inventory and replenishment of emergency crash carts, aseptic admixture preparation, and automatic and on-demand ward stock replenishment Cross-trained to provide support to other areas including outpatient pharmacy services to ensure needs are met Responsible for Outpatient functions, including filling and labeling medications for verification by a pharmacist, assisting patients at the pharmacy pick-up window, cleaning and refilling the outpatient automated dispensing machines, and preparing outpatient controlled substances in accordance with facility policy for pharmacist verification Performs other duties as assigned by management Work Schedule: 7 on 7 off/ 8:30am to 8:00pm, Mon-Fri, 8:30am to 9:00pm Fri - Sun Functional Statement #: 544-50482-A Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. Education or Experience. A high school diploma or equivalent; or at least 3 months experience. Certification. Certification by the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is required at grades GS-6 and above. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacy technicians appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Grade Determinations GS-6: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-5. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: (a) Ability to solve problems and make recommendations, e.g., troubleshoot operational problems and refer for appropriate action. (b) Knowledge of the operation and care of automated equipment,. (c). Knowledge of, and ability to follow, written instructions for compounding with aseptic technique for hazardous materials such as oncology agents. (d). Knowledge, and ability to perform, compounding with aseptic technique for routine sterile products. (e). Knowledge of policies and procedures for inventory management in specialized areas such as emergency carts. (f). Knowledge of the computerized prescription process demonstrated by the ability to input prescriptions and medication orders. Preferred Experience: One year of experience as a Certified Pharmacy Technician in an Inpatient Pharmacy setting with extensive knowledge of pharmacy automation equipment, including but not limited to Pyxis and Omnicell. The incumbent should have experience preparing intravenous admixtures and knowledge of USP 797/800 standards. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/15 PART II APPENDIX G28

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Columbia VA Health Care System 6439 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209 US
• Name: Reginald Young
• Phone: 704-638-9000
• Email: [email protected]