The Dayton, Ohio Veterans Affairs Medical Center is recruiting for a well-qualified Pharmacy Technician to work within Pharmacy Service. This position function s primarily in both the inpatient and outpatient care of Pharmacy Service. The employee must be certified by the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).

Duties

This position's duties include both inpatient and outpatient functions. Duties include, but may not be limited to: Reads and interprets prescriptions, obtains proper medication or material in the proper strength and dosage form; determines proper amount and counts, pours, or measures the medications; affixes proper label; and records required data on Pharmacy's copy of prescription/order. After a final check by a pharmacist, dispenses medication in ambulatory care or discharge situations. Assists with inventory management and ordering of medications and supplies. Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution. Assists in total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services. Monitors inventory needs in patient care areas, relays this information to the appropriate Pharmacy personnel. Assists in training new or existing staff so that these competencies are maintained. Provide patient education on pharmacy topics such as the requesting refill process, drug information sheets, and relaying judgmental questions to the pharmacist. Fills unit dose carts, and ward stock medications independently to be delivered to patients areas of use. Fills first dose orders for dispensing to inpatient areas. Ensures all first dose, unit dose cart fills, and ward stock fills are checked by a pharmacist prior to delivery to patient care areas. Prepares inpatient drug orders including all medicinal dosage forms such as chemotherapy, intravenous admixtures, oral solids, etc., according to established procedures and protocols as assigned under aseptic technique. Inventories and replenishes emergency crash carts, paramedic blue bags, surgery carts, and other portable emergency kits as required. Collects drug use evaluation data for quality improvement purposes as required. Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy automated equipment. Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile). 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. Conducts periodic ward inspection of patient care areas as assigned. Maintains, verifies, stocks, and replaces outdates in patient care area automated machines. Maintains a training/education manual for the focus area assigned. Monitors refrigerator temperature on a daily basis in pharmacy. Assists with inventory management and ordering of medicines. Performs all the duties of lower graded technicians or clerks in the pharmacy, as required. Inpatient services may include such areas as aseptic admixture preparation, 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. Outpatient services may include such areas as outpatient prescription filling, answering the pharmacy phone, window prescription dispensing, narcotic vault assignments, mail processing, inspections or other areas that may develop from patient/pharmacy needs. Assists in other patient care areas (including outpatient and clinical pharmacy) to maintain consistency of overall pharmacy services. Work Schedule: 7:00am - 3:30pm, 40 hrs/wk; rotating weekends and holidays, Sunday through Saturday Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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: 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. Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to obtain licensure/certification/ registration within the required time frame, or who fails to maintain the required licensure/certification/ registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. For occupations which require an active credential (licensure/certification/registration) at all grade levels, at the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies if a placement opportunity exists. For occupations which require an active credential (licensure/certification/registration) in assignments above the full-performance level only, at the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may remain at an appropriate lower grade level in the occupation when both of the following apply: the credential is not a requirement and a placement opportunity exists." Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all Title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Some of these provisions may not apply to this occupation. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/ registration requirements that apply to this occupation. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation 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 required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that does not require a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted, or demoted within the occupation. Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Such 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. 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. 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. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacy technicians appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grade Determinations: GS-6 Experience. 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 and the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*): Certification. PTCB certification is required at this grade level and above. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1. Ability to solve problems and make recommendations, e.g., troubleshoot operational problems and refer for appropriate action. 2. Knowledge of the operation and care of automated equipment. 3. Knowledge of, and ability to follow, written instructions for compounding with aseptic technique for hazardous materials such as oncology agents. 4. Knowledge, and ability to perform, compounding with aseptic technique for routine sterile products. 5. Knowledge of policies and procedures for inventory management in specialized areas such as emergency carts. 6. Knowledge of the computerized prescription process demonstrated by the ability to input prescriptions and medication orders. Preferred Experience: Compounding/ IV room experience preferred. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-28 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: Some of the work involves extended periods of time standing, sitting or doing computer work. Duties regularly involve lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 40 pounds, lifting to stock shelves, bending/stooping, and walking to various parts of the Dayton VA Medical Center grounds which may involve some minor exertion. Endurance of very stressful periods may be required due to uncontrollable workload demands. This position requires average agility and dexterity. Professional appearances per pharmacy dress code, attitude and demeanor are required.

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 Dayton VA Medical Center 4100 West Third Street Dayton, OH 45428 US
• Name: Sage Artemis
• Email: [email protected]