The location of this position is at the Boise VAMC Pharmacy Division located in Boise Idaho.

Duties

General Duties: 1. Accurately interpret, fills, and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification. 2. Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly condition by assuring that all stock and equipment are in assigned places and all shelves and counters are free of dust and debris to create optional work areas. 3. Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines, including the storage of high-risk, look a-like sound a­like, hazardous, controlled substances, corrosive chemical, flammable liquids, and refrigerated items. 4. Receives, checks, rotates, and places in stock all items received from pharmacy procurement section and identifies and reconciles any discrepancies to assure correct items have been received. 5. Utilizes automation dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff following all safety and QA procedures. Reports automation malfunctions timely the supervisor as appropriate 6. Records expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system upon receipt. 7. Perform monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed. Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements. 8. Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile). This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used for final pharmacist verification. a. Manufactures products requiring compounding, whether made in large batches for more than one patient or in small batches to fill a single prescription or drug order. b. Correctly interprets physician orders, selects, and measures appropriate ingredients, mixes ingredients in a safe and effective manner, inspects the final product for accuracy, labels the product, maintains records of the manufacturing process, and attains a final check by a pharmacist. c. Uses standard protocols to determine an accurate expiration date for each batch prepared. d. Proficiently operates equipment including but not limited to balances and mixing machines in the routing of manufacturing pharmaceutical products. 9. Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution. 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. 10. Assists in training and orientation of new staff technicians, interns, and students. Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program consisting of students, externs, interns, residents, and professional and non-professional staff members. 11. Demonstrates the ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality. 12. Performs duties of all lower grade technicians as needed. 13. Participate in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy. 14. Assists in quality improvement activities by participating in assessment and action teams that will improve service as assigned. 15. Assists higher level technicians as needed. 16. Completes all National, VISN, local, and Pharmacy mandatory trainings in a timely manner. 17. Maintains national certification with PTCB or ExCPT 18. Complies with all VHA, Medical Center, and Pharmacy regulations, directives, policies, and procedures. 19. May be assigned to work in other areas of pharmacy service as deemed necessary by the Chief, Pharmacy Service or Supervisor. Work Schedule: Variable tour - Monday to Friday Compressed/Flexible:Not available Telework: Not available 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: Grade Determinations: GS-07 (1) Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. (2) Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: (a) PTCB as a CPhT. OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT. (3) 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. Preferred Experience: Must have 3-5 years of experience. Narcotic vault tech experience preferred. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/159 PART II APPENDIX G28 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 6. Physical Requirements: Position requires some walking, standing, bending, and lifting up to 50 pounds. The incumbent may be required to move equipment to facilitate the service's needs or program changes as dictated by either the service or the agency.

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 Boise VA Medical Center 500 West Fort Street Boise, ID 83702 US
• Name: Yolanda Gallegos
• Phone: (208) 422-1000 X7394
• Email: [email protected]