The Dayton, Ohio Veterans Affairs Medical Center is recruiting for a well-qualified Pharmacy Technician to work within Pharmacy Service. This position functions in both the inpatient and outpatient care of Pharmacy Service.

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. Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Education or Experience. (1) None required. (2) 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). OR National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). 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. 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. 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). GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for appointment in paragraph 5, VA HR staff must use the following criteria to determine the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for appointment, VA HR staff must use the following criteria to determine the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Pharmacy Technician, GS-06. Education or Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of Federal and state laws related to pharmacy practice. (b) Knowledge of preparation, storage and distribution of medication products including those requiring special handling and documentation. (c) Ability to use pharmacy information systems or operate pharmacy dispensing equipment. (d) Knowledge of basic inventory procedures. (e) Ability to communicate with patients and staff and direct questions to appropriate personnel. Preferred Experience: Compounding/ IV room experience preferred. References: VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G28, Transmittal Sheet of November 7, 2023, and OCHCO ID#2024-02 (Change 159). The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. 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
• Phone: 216-778-9532
• Email: [email protected]