This Pharmacy Technician position is in the Pharmacy Service at the VA Maine Healthcare System located at the Togus, ME campus location. This position has 5 full-time at 40 hours per week and 1 position PT at 20 hours per week.

Duties

Pharmacy technicians prepare medications by counting, pouring, weighing, measuring, and mixing or compounding oral and intravenous medications. Duties include, but are not limited to: Prepare medications for distribution to inpatient wards and clinics and outpatients for pickup and mailing. Works in collaboration with other pharmacy technicians and responds to requests of pharmacists and other pharmacy supervisory staff. Perform routine pharmacy functions including receiving prescriptions from patients in writing or electronically from physicians. Maintain patient profiles, prepare insurance claim forms, stock, and take inventory of medications. Prepare medications for inpatients in various settings, including sterile product preparation. Independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty. Serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area. Perform assignments such as compounding sterile products, filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations, taking medication histories and counseling patients, managing automation, managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Part-Time - Schedule TBD Compressed/Flexible:Not authorized Telework: Yes, Telework Ad-Hoc work can be performed on an as needed basis anywhere other than a VA facility or using VA-leased space. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F06758 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Notifications: This position is in an AFGE Bargaining Unit. This position is in the Excepted Service. This position is on a special salary rate. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) will be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.

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. 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). Certification - For positions above the full performance level, the candidate must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). OR, National Health career Association (NHA) as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). NOTE: A copy of your certification must be included with your application. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for appointment, the following criteria must be used when determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates: GS 8 Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-08 candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-07. This experience includes, but is not limited to: Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work; Knowledge of the 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology and policies in a specialized area or section of pharmacy (such as sterile compounding, controlled substances, automation, clinical pharmacy, contact center, etc.). See note below for specialized area. 2. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. 3. Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy. NOTE: Specialized Areas within pharmacy that require advanced knowledge, skills and abilities to ensure a high level of accountability for patient safety, quality of care and/or VHA or other regulatory requirements. Examples include, but are not limited to compounding sterile products, controlled substance dispensing, research, automation, clinical informatics, quality assurance, hazardous medication compounding/management, immunizations and clinical pharmacy assignments. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/159 PART II APPENDIX G28 Physical Requirements: Must be able to pass a pre-employment physical in accordance with VA policy. The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing for a prolonged period of time, lifting/carrying/pushing of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lb., and bending/stooping. IV room duties require manual dexterity and repetitive motions. Some of the work may be sedentary in nature. Work Environment: Work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes the incumbent to communicable diseases, loud noises, biohazards, hazardous chemicals and hazardous medications common in a healthcare environment. Such exposure will be mitigated in accordance with local policies and operating procedures as per USP standards, OSHA guidance and local risk assessment practices. Standard safety precautions and PPE are required and specified per local policies.

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 Togus VA Medical Center 1 VA Center Augusta, ME 04330 US
• Name: Donna Davies
• Phone: (603) 624-4366 X5077
• Email: [email protected]