The pharmacy technician at the Brainerd Community Based Outpatient Clinic provides administrative, clerical, and clinical support in the outpatient and specialty clinics.

Duties

Anticoagulation Clinic Support Obtains necessary supplies from laboratory service and stocks and reviews supply for proper storage and outdates. Performs Point of Care (POC) testing for International Normalized Ratio (INR). Reviews medication history, changes, adherence and complications of therapy during scheduled INR testing process. Assists with addressing direct oral anticoagulation (DOAC) dashboard flags. Monitors and alerts Pharmacist to available DOAC lab monitoring results. Assists with scheduling future lab orders and follow up appointments. Prints daily schedules and "no shows/lost to follow up" reports for patients on Warfarin and reviews patient records for out-of-range INRs being addressed. Alerts providers of need to address out-of-range INR results. Reviews both reports and patients' electronic health record (EHR) to identify which patients have and have not been followed-up with in the last 60 days. Provides support rescheduling patients who have missed appointments, completes telephone interviews of patients who have obtained INRs from outside labs, and triages incoming telephone calls from patients, family members and other health providers. Addresses INR results utilizing a facility-approved Warfarin protocol. Manages and triages telephone calls, secure messages and faxes received in the Anticoagulation Management Program. Documents activities in the Electronic Health Record as required. Prescriptions from Outside VA Receives and reviews prescriptions received from outside clinics to determine appropriate eligibility, to include Care in the Community, Fee Basis, Aid & Attendance and Self-Directed Care. Validates electronic prescriptions to confirm the appropriate patient, provider and medication are selected when submitting the prescription to the VA EHR. Identifies formulary medications and coordinates process for approval of non-formulary or prior authorization medications, to include obtaining documentation, as necessary. Communicates non-formulary and prior authorization denials to non-VA clinics and provides supporting documentation, as necessary. Monitors and documents actions taken to ensure prescriptions are addressed timely. Documents activities in the Electronic Health Record as required. Patient Care Answers questions from Pharmacy and non-Pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution. Identifies basic therapeutic problems and alerts Pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention. Documents activities in the Electronic Health Record as required. Other Duties Participates in quality assurance, process improvement activities and performance monitors. Performs monthly inspections for outdates. Assists in other patient care areas as deemed necessary to maintain the consistency of overall Pharmacy services. Participates and assists in patient care activities during emergency situations. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0800-1630 Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

Pharmacy Technician Basic Requirement To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following: Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States 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-07 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). 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. Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician, GS-08 In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-08 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07). 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: 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standard (va.gov) 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.

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 St Cloud VA Medical Center 4801 Veterans Drive St Cloud, MN 56303 US
• Name: Breeze Hennes
• Phone: (320) 252-1670 X5222
• Email: [email protected]