The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health. As an employee, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. The incumbent is responsible for ordering medications and supplies from required sources and meeting contract compliance while maintaining complex accounts.

Duties

Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf Pharmacy technicians 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. Incumbent will 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. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Responsible for all ongoing inventories of drug products and pharmaceutical supplies and their procurement maintaining total inventory exceeding $600,000 at any time. Utilizes basic accounting and budgetary skills to assure pharmaceuticals and supplies are maintained in the most cost-effective manner. Maintains accountability of daily purchases and coordinates receipt, assures consistent delivery schedules are employed. Knowledgeable with prime vendor (PV) catalog utilization and possess a working knowledge of all US Pharmacopeia, The Joint Commission, and VA manual storage requirements. Determines well-defined storage locations and ensures storage conforms to established guidelines. Utilizes the prime vendor to order pharmaceutical and supply items. Reviews drug orders on computer screen/hard copy, verifying amount to order and transmitting the order to the prime vendor. Manage over $9,000,000 annually by finding best-cost alternatives to fulfill medication and supply needs. Comply with all the acquisition regulations, both Federal, VA and local to include 8A, small business, Javis Wagner O-Day Act, and mandatory sources. Reconciles purchase care charges within the established time limits. Resolves disputes of unknown or incorrect charges also within the established time limits. Provides approving official with all pertinent purchase card documents for approval. Coordinates and works with vendors on orders that have been erroneously charged or delivered. establishes, and modifies as necessary, appropriate ordering intervals, inventory levels, most efficient/effective ordering quantities. Subject matter expert to all members of the pharmacy staff regarding inventory status and control. Assists pharmacists in acquiring high priority or emergency items and initiates procurement activity to local sources if necessary. Maintains all records to ensure accountability and (borrow/loans records) repayment. Ensures all stocked pharmacy items are bar code labeled in accordance with VA's Generic Inventory Package (GIP) program requirements. Enters data into the bar-code reader by scanning item labels and downloads the data to a PC into the associated Pharmacy inventory. Request non special-order purchases such as pharmacy mailing supplies (various size boxes and containers, refrigerated mailing bags, ice packs, etc.), medical supplies, and some non-PV drugs. Verifies items received against orders placed, unpacks and stores supplies as appropriate, and takes appropriate actions to resolve and document any discrepancies, shortages, or damage. Returns expired drugs, stock overages, and short dated items for credit on a weekly basis. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday. Duty hours 7:30am-4:00pm or 8:00am-4:30pm. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Pharmacy Technician-Procurement #000000 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/29/2024. Pharmacy Technician 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: (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 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. Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. 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). References: VA Handbook 5005/15, Part II, Appendix G28 Grade Requirements Pharmacy Technician: GS-07 Experience. Candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below. 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. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). The candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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 Pharmacy Technician: GS-08 Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below. 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. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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.). 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. 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. The full performance level of this vacancy is 8. Physical Requirements: Principle duties require repetitive use of hands and fingers (e.g., preparing IV admixtures, use of a computer keyboard, etc.). May require lifting and carrying light loads (up to 44lbs.), including boxes, equipment, unit dose-cassettes, and IV solutions; stooping or kneeling (e.g., to pick up items from the floor, remove and replace items on lower shelves, and to file documents in lower file drawers, etc.); sitting, walking, or standing for long periods of time (4-8 hours). Normal ranges of hearing and vision are required to perform work and communicate effectively; must have the visual ability to distinguish between basic colors and shades of color. An ability to perform tasks requiring rapid mental and muscular coordination functions simultaneously is necessary. Must be physically capable of operating various types of equipment used for the job.. 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.

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 Fargo VA Medical Center 2101 Elm Street Fargo, ND 58102 US
• Name: Michelle Smull
• Phone: 785-350-1951
• Email: [email protected]