This Pharmacy Technician position is assigned to the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System. This position functions as the procurement assistant position in Pharmacy Service in support of procurement and inventory management of pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, and equipment. This position requires extensive working knowledge of Acquisition and Materiel Management (A&MM) policies and regulations.

Duties

The position requires specialized knowledge of pharmacy operations, care and storage of specialized pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical equipment. The position requires a comprehensive knowledge of Pharmacy Service local and national procurement/formulary guidelines and restrictions. Duties include but not limited to: Assists the procurement technician with procurement and ongoing inventory management of drug products and medical supplies in the department. Monitors utilization rates to ensure cost-effective turnover of inventories on hand. Orders from various procurement sources, including prime vendor and direct contract and non-contract sources. Ensures mandatory sources are used when appropriate. Ensures most cost-effective sources and items are selected when ordering. Complies with all IMPAC card rules and regulations when using the government purchase card. Reconciles purchases made with the IMPAC card in a timely manner. Reports any vendor issues to procurement technician and or procurement pharmacist. Determines, establishes, and modifies, as necessary, appropriate ordering intervals, inventory levels, most efficient/effective ordering quantities, based on the fiscal status of the pharmaceutical budget, seasonal variations in drug usage, changing patterns of medical practice, delivery time requirements, urgency of medical need, and alternative sources of availability. Maintains department's procurement fund control records, verifies information, and reconciles all procurement problems. Works with procurement technician and procurement pharmacist to resolve budgetary discrepancies that arise among Fiscal, Acquisition and Materiel Management, and Pharmacy due to changes that occur during procurement, obligation, and delivery process. Compiles and analyzes data from a variety of sources (i.e., inventories, procurement records, financial expenditures, etc.) to assess and project the importance and impact of changing trends of drug utilization on drug inventory control and budget utilization. Acts as procurement assistant for securing and coordinating the processing of outdated, returned, unusable, and excess inventory for credit through the reverse distributor or processing as pharmaceutical waste. Ensures the handling and processing of general pharmaceutical waste and hazardous pharmaceutical waste is done in accordance with VHA and EPA regulations. Serves as procurement assisting with the biennial physical inventory of all controlled substances and ensures records are maintained in accordance with VHA and DEA regulations. Serves as procurement assistant for coordinating the destruction of controlled substances with the reverse distributor in accordance with VHA and DEA regulations. Designated as procurement assistant for the Equipment Inventory Listing Verification Officer for the department. Assists procurement technician and procurement pharmacist with Logistics the identification and verification of all equipment assigned to Pharmacy Service. Works with Engineering Service and vendors the maintenance and repair of pharmacy equipment. Assist procurement technician and procurement pharmacist with processing of all manufacturer and FDA recalls of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. Ensures recalled items are properly handled and processed for return to the appropriate source. Performs all the duties of lower graded technicians, if required. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Available (Ad-hoc) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000 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. a. 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). b. 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. c. Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: (1) Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). OR(2) National Health career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). d. 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. e. 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. Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician, GS-03. (1) Education and Experience. (a) One year of post-secondary education. OR (b) Six months of general experience. OR (c) Student Technician. A student enrolled in an approved nationally accredited pharmacy technician program for an occupation identified in 38 U.S.C. 7405(a)(1)(A) or (B) may be appointed on a temporary full-time, part-time or intermittent basis under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. 7405(a)(1)(D) for a period not to exceed two years or the duration of the individual's program. Pharmacy Technician, GS-04. (1) Education and Experience. (a) Completion of two years of post-secondary coursework related to pharmacy (e.g., 12 semester hours of science and mathematics courses). OR (b) Completion of one of the following: i Six months of experience, that demonstrated knowledge of medication or medical field practice. OR ii Successful completion of a military or nationally recognized pharmacy technician education/training program. American Society of Health System Pharmacists® (ASHP), American Pharmacist Association (APHA), Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), PTCB or NHA are examples of acceptable professional organizations recognizing such training programs. NOTE: Training courses recognized by PTCB and NHA are not actual certifications. OR iii One year of experience equivalent to next lower grade level. (2) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the education or experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:(a) Ability to follow policies and procedures.(b) Ability to maintain appropriate files.(c) Ability to communicate with patients and other health professionals.(d) Ability to follow both written and verbal instructions.(e) Ability to operate office software/equipment to include, computers, software applications and printers. Pharmacy Technician, GS-05. (1) Education or Experience. (a) Successful completion of four years post-secondary education with courses related to pharmacy (e.g., 48 semester hours of science, mathematics, pharmacy) or a bachelor's degree. OR (b) An associate's degree in pharmacy technician or technology (48 semester hours of concentrated pharmacy technician training). OR (c) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. (2) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the education or experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of basic pharmacy operations. (b) Knowledge of pharmaceuticals to perform duties in pharmacy functional areas. (c) Knowledge of pharmaceutical nomenclature (including generic, chemical and proprietary names of drug).(d) Ability to fill prescriptions. (e) Ability to use pharmacy information systems or basic pharmacy dispensing equipment with oversight. Pharmacy Technician, GS-06 (1) Education or Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level. (2) 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: Certification by the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is required at grades GS-6 and above. References: VA Handbook 5005/15 Appendix G28 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: Functional Requirements: heavy lifting (45lbs and over); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (3 hours per day); standing (8 hours per day); kneeling (2 hours per day); repeated bending (4 hours per day); both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; far vision correctable in one eye 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted).

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 VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System 2200 SW Gage Blvd Topeka, KS 66622 US
• Name: Stephanie Hawkins
• Email: [email protected]