The Pharmacy Technician works for the VA Finger Lakes HCS, will work with inpatient and outpatient pharmacy services. The Finger Lakes Pharmacy Service has three pharmacy locations at Bath, Canandaigua and Rochester New York. This location is located at Rochester. The Pharmacy Technician will perform duties as assigned primarily at a single location. They may be asked to work at alternate locations in unique circumstances.

Duties

Obtains proper medication or material in the proper strength and dosage form, determines proper amount and counts, pours, or measures the medication; affixes proper label. After a final check by a pharmacist, dispenses medication in ambulatory care or discharge situations. Ambulatory care service includes preparation of temperature and light sensitive products, and damage proof packaging for shipment to patients. For unit-dose medications, performs final review of medication when prepared by another technician, to be dispensed to inpatient areas (med-carts, ward stock), and/or fills unit-dose carts independently without secondary review when necessary. Prepares inpatient drug orders including all medicinal dosage forms such as chemotherapy, intravenous admixtures, oral solids, etc., according to established procedures and protocols. Prepares sterile products using aseptic technique, in accordance with USP standards for preparing sterile products. Inventories and replenishes emergency carts. Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile). This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used. Maintains, verifies, replenishes, and replaces outdates in patient care area automated machines. Assists with inventory management and ordering of medicines, including stock necessary for function of automated dispensing robot. Conducts periodic inspection of point of care and pharmacy drug storage areas. Monitors inventory needs in-patient care areas, relays this information to the appropriate Pharmacy personal. This also includes placing stock in proper storage areas, rotating stock on shelves, and removing/replacing outdated items. Monitors temperature of Pharmacy's refrigerators and maintains temperature logs as necessary. Collects drug use evaluation data for quality improvement purposes as required. Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment including robotic dispensing, automated counting, and bar code re-labeling equipment. Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution. Identifies basic therapeutic problems such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention. Assists in total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services. Maintains a training/education manual for the focus area assigned. Provides training to new or existing staff so that these competencies are maintained. Performs all the duties of lower graded technicians, as required. Provides patient education on pharmacy topics such as the requesting refill process, drug information sheets, and relaying judgmental questions to the pharmacist. As deemed necessary by the pharmacy supervisor, assists in other patient care areas (both outpatient, inpatient and administrative) to maintain the consistency of overall pharmacy services. Outpatient services may include such areas as outpatient prescription filling, pharmacy phone triage, window prescription dispensing, narcotic vault assignments, or other areas that may develop from patient pharmacy needs. Inpatient services may include such areas as aseptic admixture preparation including cytotoxic agents, automatic and on-demand ward stock replenishment, maintenance and operation of automated prepackaging, storage and dispensing equipment, assembly and documentation of controlled substance requests, and properly packaging, with documentation, of single unit of use medications. Administrative services may include such areas as telephone coverage, ordering, receiving, and record keeping. Work Schedule: 7:30am to 4:00pm Compressed/Flexible:Not available. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:21N36-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.

Requirements

Qualifications

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: Certification: Certification by the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is required for the grade GS-6. English Language Proficiency. GS-6-One year experience at the next lower level and must fully meet the KSAs at the next lower level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: -Ability to solve problems and make recommendations, e.g. troubleshoot operational problems and refer for appropriate action. -Knowledge of the operation and care of automated equipment. -Knowledge of, and ability to follow, written instructions for compounding with aseptic technique for hazardous materials such as oncology agents. -Knowledge and ability to perform, compounding with aseptic technique for routine sterile products. -Knowledge of policies and procedures for inventory management in specialized areas such as emergency carts. -Knowledge of the computerized prescription process demonstrated by the ability to input prescriptions and medication orders. Pharmacy technicians may be assigned to any area of the pharmacy including expanded distributive function assignments, for example assignment as team leaders for specific process improvement teams involving technical areas or performing more highly complex duties including preparation of oncology agents for clinical pharmacy specialists. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G28. Physical Requirements: The In-patient Pharmacy Technicianmay be required to sustain extended periods of stretching, standing, sitting and reaching during his/her employment. This occasionally involves lifting moderately heavy items. The Inpatient Pharmacy Technician must possess average agility and dexterity and must be able to work adjusted schedules and rotating shifts as assigned.

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 Canandaigua VA Medical Center 400 Fort Hill Ave Canandaigua, NY 14424 US
• Name: Tara Lanigan
• Phone: 612-467-6517
• Email: [email protected]