This position functions in the Pharmacy Service and the outpatient care areas within the VA Medical Center and the Community Based Outpatient Clinics specifically related to Administration duties. The clinical pharmacy technician is a certified pharmacy technician with advanced skills who will provide administrative, clerical, and clinical support to the administration office staff and Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP).

Duties

Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf & Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf *** Bargaining Position *** The Clinical Pharmacy Technician shall provide and support clinical operations of the clinics, community care and CPPs. All assigned clinical activities and function shall be completed in accordance with approved clinical pharmacy protocols or procedures. Reviews medication history, changes (including herbals, dietary supplements, and OTC's), adherence, and complications of therapy and report findings to pharmacist. Interviews patients (families/caregivers as appropriate), to develop an accurate list of medications, strengths, and dosages the patient has been taking. Interviews patients for any over the counter medications and/or herbal product. Review Joint Legacy Viewer (JLV) to see if patient has been receiving medications from another VA. Input new, refill and mail prescriptions into the computer after the prescriptions have been reviewed for appropriateness by a pharmacist. Prescriptions entered by the Clinical Pharmacy Technician shall be verified by a pharmacist prior to processing / dispensing. Review all incoming community care prescriptions entering the data into computerized tracker and assign the prescription for action and pharmacist review. Reviews and documents patient eligibility for each community care prescription. Notifies patient and VA provider of outside prescription request received. Review performance improvement dashboards which may include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, refill history, etc. and report to the Pharmacy Program Manager. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. with rotating shifts to Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual/remote position. Functional Statement #: 51514F Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/01/2024. 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 - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d) 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 (GS-7 and above): 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). National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). Physical Requirements. See physical requirements listed below. Grandfather Provision. A Pharmacy Technician employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (11/7/2023) 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. GS-8 Grade Determination: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-8 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7). 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). National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical 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. Preferred Experience: 3 year customer service experience 3 year VA experience Able to demonstrate competency in interviewing and communicating medical information to Veterans Able to demonstrate competency in communicating information to external providers References: Former VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G28 Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standard, GS-0661, dated November 7, 2023. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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 George H O'Brien Jr VA Medical Center 300 Veterans Boulevard Big Spring, TX 79720 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]