Lead Outpatient Pharmacy Technician This position serves as the onsite lead pharmacy technician and is responsible for the guidance, training, and technical direction of all pharmacy non-pharmacist technical staff and volunteers/light duty staff within the outpatient pharmacy under the direction of the Pharmacy Supervisor. Must possess knowledge of the laws, regulations and official policy concerning drug distribution, procurement, and security measures.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Technical Activities: 1) Performs all duties of a GS-07 pharmacy technician no more than 25% of time. Functional statement provided and attached. 2) Serves as the Inpatient Technician GS-08 greater than 25% of time. Functional statement provided and attached. B. Lead Functions: 1) Competent in utilization of all IP automation. 2) Maintains competencies in USP 795, 797 and 800 and GEMS. 3) Maintains all sterile rooms in compliance with Policy and Guidance Documents. 4) In depth knowledge of all outpatient pharmacy automation. 5) Troubleshoots all outpatient pharmacy automation and escalates as necessary. 6) Routinely identifies inventory issues and changes required to maintain accuracy and cost efficiency of medication and supplies. 7) Assigns daily technician duties on the schedule. 8) Assess workload volume throughout the day, identifies backlogs, and makes staffing adjustment as needed to meet organizational goals. 9) Performs quality assurance activities by Identifying practice area issues and develops solutions to streamline processes, reduce waste, cost savings, and improve patient care. 10) Ensures the pharmacy technician team's assigned tasks are timely and accurately completed. 11) Completes all necessary activities and paperwork to receive credit through reverse distribution. 12) Promotes harmonious relationships within the work environment and supports the training needs of the technicians. 13) Identifies developmental and training needs of the technicians to ensure safety and quality control. 14) Trains technicians and new staff in new processes and in areas of identified need. 15) Identifies and recommends policy and procedure changes to management to ensure optimal pharmacy performance. 14) Serves as back up to other pharmacy technicians. 15) Resolves simple, informal complaints of employees and other customers in a helpful and timely fashion. Escalates as needed. 16) Effectively evaluates pharmacy activities to assist management to obtain short- and long-range objectives and goals. 17) Maintains competence by participating in staff development programs. 18) This position works within and supports a workgroup (workgroup is considered Pharmacy staff assigned to complete similar work). 19) This position has the potential for occasional travel up to 25%. Quality and Regulatory Duties 1) Assists in preparation of national, local, and special accreditations of pharmacy service (examples: Joint Commission, Inspector General, Controlled Substance Inspections, Drug Enforcement Agency). This includes documentation record updates and compliance with policy and procedures. 2) Able to evaluate and analyze data for workload analysis and statistical reports. Work Schedule: Full-time; 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday through Friday Telework: If approved, will be on an ad-hoc basis 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

Requirements

Qualifications

All requirements must be met by the close date of this announcement. 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: 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). 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: GS-8 Lead Pharmacy Technician Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-7. 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. AND 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. AND Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs. (a) 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.). (b) Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. (c) Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/159 PART II APPENDIX G28 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. 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 but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (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 and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. (5) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

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 VA Black Hills Health Care System 113 Comanche Road Fort Meade, SD 57741 US
• Name: Adam Abbott
• Phone: 612-629-7067
• Email: [email protected]