Under the supervision of a pharmacist, pharmacy technicians perform routine pharmacy functions including filling, preparation and dispensing of prescriptions, sterile compounding preparation, management of automated dispensing equipment (ADE), inventory management and multiple types of customer contact services. Advanced pharmacy technicians serve in specialized roles within the pharmacy department and are often involved with program management of their specialty area.

Duties

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Duties Include but not limited to: A. Procurement (80%): 1. Medication and Supply Purchasing: a) Performs purchasing functions of all prescription and nonprescription drug products and supplies for Pharmacy Service b) Establishes processes and procedures for borrowing items from area hospitals or pharmacies on an emergency basis and ensures their safe transport to the medical center. c) Ensures timely and appropriate product reconciliation with the loaning organization. d) Assures consistent vendor delivery schedules that support the needs and goals of the Pharmacy Service. e) Investigates and resolves shipping and receiving errors from vendors and suppliers in compliance with hospital fiscal policies. f) Utilizes the prime vendor as primary source for medications and supplies. g) Utilizes the Medical/Surgical Prime Vendor to procure supply items unavailable through Pharmacy prime vendor. 2. Controlled Substance Purchase and Receipt: Ensures compliance with all controlled substances rules and regulations as defined by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the VHA Controlled Substance Handbook (VHA Directive 1108.01(1)). Included are the extensive requirements for placing narcotic orders, receipt of narcotic orders, and the immediate transport of received narcotics to the respective narcotic vault. 3. Accounting and Administration: a) Maintains all required documentation of daily purchases and coordinates product receipt and control point management. b) Works directly with supervisory personnel to support and ensure department budgetary compliance. c) Maintains a complete and current record keeping and retrieval system. Files are routinely purged to avoid accumulation of obsolete material based on Records Management guidelines. d) Ensure that use of purchase card is consistent with VA Handbooks the hospital's fiscal policies. Inventory Management: a) Maintains pharmacy inventory software to ensure that appropriate quantities are ordered so that stock levels are maintained without excess. b) Complies with the department's product recall procedures and works directly with the Inventory and Procurement Facility Program Manager pharmacy to coordinate product removals and alternative product purchases. c) Ensures that stock is dispersed into designated storage areas with appropriate storage requirements based on VA, OSHA, US Pharmacopoeia, and Joint Commission standards. 5. Pharmacy All Hazards Emergency Cache a) Serves as resource regarding policies and procedures related to the cache, including Directives, Medical Center Policies and Pharmacy policies. b) Performs weekly inspection of cache to ensure that building is secure, and medications are properly stored. c) Responsible for product rotation as directed by VA Emergency Pharmacy Services. Re-labels stock as required by the Shelf- Life Extension Program Controlled Substance Dispensing (10%): a) Maintains a comprehensive knowledge of all controlled substance handling, filling and dispensing requirements as outlined in VHA Directive 1108.01(1) and local policies and procedures to ensure all requirements and accountability are met to maintain compliance with controlled substance dispensing. b) Maintains inventory management, including adequate stock and review of expiration dates. c) Works closely with the supervisors to investigate discrepancies or diversion. d) Follows policies and procedures for handling of destructions and returns for controlled substance medications e) Works with other controlled substances technicians to ensure twice weekly (3 days apart) inventories are completed in the outpatient pharmacy vault and sheets are given to the Controlled Substance Program Manager for filing and verification during the controlled substance monthly inspection. f) Maintains an organized system to track paperwork, signatures, mail outs, and other pertinent information for controlled substance filling. g) Works closely with local mailroom and USPS employees to ensure timely mailing of controlled substances. Non-Controlled Outpatient Technician Functions (10%) a) Maintains a working knowledge of the ScriptPro including general operation, filling prescriptions, reports, and general service issues. Follows all policies and procedures concerning the ScriptPro. b) Prescription Filling/Dispensing Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, Dayshift Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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: 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). 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. 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 Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). 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 (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. (5) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements. Pharmacy Technician (Procurement/Inventory), GS-08. 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 which includes: Independent judgement to perform a full range of duties Mentor and train lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting. They assist advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participate in performance improvement initiatives. And, Knowledge and Skills Required: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) for ALL GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated: 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.) Note: See Specialized Area.in the Definitions Section. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy. Additional Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Basic knowledge of pharmacy procurement, distribution and storage requirements to maintain a safe working environment. This includes not limited to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and DEA requirements and regulations. Ability to assist in determining and modifying as necessary: ordering intervals, inventory levels and cost-effective ordering quantities from required sources based on current financial conditions in pharmacy, seasonal variations in drug usage, changing patterns in medical practice, delivery time requirements and urgency of medical need. 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. Pharmacy Technician (Procurement/Inventory): 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 serve as an ordering officer delegated by the national acquisition center contracting officer for the purpose of ordering against the national pharmacy prime vendor (PPV) contract and national blanket purchase agreements (BPA) for pharmacy. They are responsible for ordering medications and supplies from required sources and meeting contract compliance while maintaining multiple complex accounts with the PPV. They utilize the Government purchase card program for direct orders up to the micro purchase threshold per VA financial policy. Pharmacy technicians at this level are responsible for regulatory and formulary requirements to meet patient needs within budgetary limits. References: VA handbook 5005 The full performance level of this vacancy is 8. Physical Requirements: Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

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 Huntington VA Medical Center 1540 Spring Valley Drive Huntington, WV 25704 US
• Name: Tianna Miller
• Phone: 404-680-6127
• Email: [email protected]