The incumbent will have complete understanding of the activities and mission of the Pharmacy Service, which will include the Pharmacy's responsibilities to the overall mission of the Medical Center. He/She is a highly specialized technician, who, under the authority of the Chief, Pharmacy Service, is responsible for the preparation and management of all sterile products handled by the pharmacy.

Duties

Major Duties: Sterile Product Compounding: Technician independently prepares IV piggybacks, TPN bags, IV maintenance bags and Chemotherapy. Completed work will be reviewed by another technician for quality control. The Technician shall be proficient in: Aseptic compounding techniques, dosage calculations and usual dose range usage. Cleaning and decontamination of vertical and laminar flow hoods before, during and after preparation procedures. Cleaning of the entire IV room suite per USP 797/USP 800 frequency guidelines. Preparation of IV products and Chemotherapy, which requires substantial technical knowledge and is associated with a high degree of toxicity. Prepares sterile ophthalmic preparations and other complex sterile pharmaceuticals. Gowning procedures, vertical laminar flow hood procedures and disposal techniques for chemotherapy agents. Completion of manufacturing forms and labels with lot numbers, dates and initials; and replacement of ribbon on IV label printer as needed to ensure labels are clearly readable. Timely delivery of regularly scheduled doses and emergency requirements as needed. Restocking work area on a daily basis, rotating stock and checking for expiration dates. QA activities by regular participation in maintaining records of monitoring procedures and documenting for JCAHO indicators. Visiting each area served by the Inpatient Pharmacy to pick up discontinued or wasted products and coordinating operation with those areas. Completing weekly recycling and/or destruction of IV additives and/or piggybacks returned from wards per policy; weekly cleaning of IV refrigerator and destruction of outdated/waste products. Monthly maintenance of manufacturing list file. Communicating as required with co-workers throughout the Medical Center via direct communication, telephone, and E-mail to assure mission of is maintained. Facilitating on-the-job training for new technicians and students in the proper IV-unit procedures. Operates and maintaining complicated pharmacy equipment. Performs all other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Variable Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Specialized Pharmacy Technician/Inpatient GS-0661-07 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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 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 to 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). 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: Specialized Pharmacy Technician (Inpatient) GS-7 Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6). GS-6 experience includes: Knowledge of Federal and state laws related to pharmacy practice. Knowledge of preparation, storage and distribution of medication products including those requiring special handling and documentation. Ability to use pharmacy information systems or operate pharmacy dispensing equipment. Knowledge of basic inventory procedures. Ability to communicate with patients and staff and direct questions to appropriate personnel. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work. Knowledge of computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent. Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers. Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students. Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution. Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G28 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7. Physical Requirements: Physical/mental dexterity, mental/emotional stability, ability to bend, stoop, lift weight of approximately 40 pounds; much standing and walking.

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 Louis A Johnson VA Medical Center 1 Medical Center Drive Clarksburg, WV 26301 US
• Name: Carrie Trenary
• Phone: 304-268-7780
• Email: [email protected]