This position functions primarily in the inpatient care areas and the Pharmacy Service within the VA Medical Center. Working alongside the Pharmacist to ensure the correct medication is compounded, packaged, and delivered to the correct patient, provider, or automated dispensing system.

Duties

DUTIES: Automatic Replenishment/Ward Stock Correctly inventories, assesses and determines the need for floor stock and external medication Follows established policies and procedures, schedules, inventory levels, and usage rate reports to determine appropriate stock levels for specific areas of use. Accurately fills prescription items for wards using Automatic Replenishment reports. Performs and documents an inspection of assigned hospital areas for medication storage. Removes all expired and deteriorated drugs from the automated dispensing stations, stocks shelves and the unit dose automated dispensing systems. Assures that each area that is inspected meets established standards for appropriate drug storage conditions including drug security for inspection and accreditation. Unit Dose Medication Management Inventories and replenishes emergency trays/kits/boxes. Trouble-shoots minor mechanical problems of all automated systems as they occur and coordinates resolution of more involved mechanical or software problems with Supervisor, vendor help desk, ADPAC, automation technician, etc. as appropriate Assures repackaged dosage forms are labeled according to USP and VA standards and attains a final review by a pharmacist. Controlled Substances Activities Appropriately restocks controlled substance items in automated dispensing cabinets throughout medical center, as assigned. Documents all controlled substance related transactions as indicated by VA and DEA guidelines. Ensures that proper handoff occurs when receiving or delivering controlled substances, assuring that at all times these medications are never left unsecured. Complies with all laws, regulations, directives, policies, and procedures applying to the dispensing, storage, transfer, inventory, and accountability of controlled substances Sterile Product Compounding Correctly interprets physician orders, selects and measures appropriate ingredients, mixes ingredients in a safe and effective manner, inspects the final product for accuracy, suitability and elegance, labels the product, maintains records of the compounding process, and supplies the product for pharmacist verification and delivery Properly cleans IV admixture non-hazardous and hazardous compounding rooms, including daily, weekly, monthly and any necessary "terminal" cleans as required. Medication Management System 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. Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment such as unit dose prepackaging machines, automatic dispensing machines, IV compounding machines and other pharmacy devices. Able to troubleshoot the equipment and the technology platforms/databases. 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. As deemed necessary by the pharmacy supervisor, assists in other patient care areas (including outpatient pharmacy services) to maintain the consistency of overall pharmacy services. However, primary assignments of work schedule and tours would involve inpatient pharmacy services. 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. Ensures all inventory automation equipment in the pharmacy service is properly refilled and utilized to maintain inventory controls Functions as first-line telephone contact for nursing units, nurses and providers. Addresses telephone requests in a timely and courteous fashion, processing, for example missing doses, stat deliveries, etc Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 1:30pm-10:00pm and holidays Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education or Experience: None required 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: PTCB as a CPhT OR NHA as a ExCPT May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS7: Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work. (b) Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent. (c) Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers. (d) Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students. (e) Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution. (f) Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Pharmacy technicians at this level are nationally certified and can work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties. These pharmacy technicians mentor and train lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting. They assist advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participate in performance improvement initiatives. At this level, pharmacy technicians use independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy. They also function as staff pharmacy technicians in various locations of the pharmacy, including pharmacy contact centers and other non-traditional pharmacy locations, with minimal oversight. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/159 November 07, 2023 PART II APPENDIX G28 The full performance level of this vacancy is 7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 7 . Physical Requirements: This position physical demands are standing, reaching, bending, stretching, walking, and carrying light loads of supplies.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Salem VA Medical Center 1970 Roanoke Boulevard Salem, VA 24153 US
• Name: Kera Madden
• Phone: 540-982-2463 X2770
• Email: [email protected]