The Pharmacy Technician (Procurement/Inventory) supports patient care activities at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System. The position is responsible for the purchasing and inventory of all prescription/non-prescription medication and supply in a complex area of Pharmacy Service. This position also requires successful acquisition and maintenance of a Government Purchase Card and National Acquisition Center (NAC) issued Ordering Officer Delegation (OOD) for Pharmaceutical Medical Supplies.

Duties

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws The primary duties of this highly complex Pharmacy Technician position include but are not limited to: Has operational responsibility for perpetual inventories of drug products and pharmaceutical supplies and their procurement. Maintains accountability of daily purchases and coordinates receipt, assures consistent delivery schedules are employed and handled in a manner beneficial to the Pharmacy Service Line. Keeps current on contracts, product availability, and prices to identify appropriate sources and ensures most cost-effective products are purchased through the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS). Utilizes the prime vendor to order FSS items, involving direct contact with the prime vendor via vendor provided software/hardware and placement and receipt of drug order after an assessment of the various contracts available and selection of the most cost-effective item. Required to successfully perform the duties of a purchase cardholder in accordance with VHA Handbook 1730.1 including the timely reconciliation of purchase card transactions, completes required training, complying with acquisition regulations, ensuring that goods/services have been received and keeping required documentation. Understands and executes delivery orders to ensure the products are appropriately ordered and received physically & electronically per established practices. Complies with all the acquisition regulations, Federal, VA and local to include mandatory sources/contracting hierarchy, and all socioeconomic (small business) categories. Resolves disputes of unknown or incorrect charges also within the established time limits. Determines, establishes, and modifies, appropriate ordering intervals, inventory levels, most efficient/effective ordering quantities, sources of supply, etc., based on current financial conditions in pharmacy, seasonal variations in drug usage, changing patterns of medical practice, delivery time requirements, urgency of medical need, alternative sources of availability, etc. Has general knowledge of the budget process as it relates to Pharmacy and Fiscal Service. Assists the Pharmacy Supervisory staff, in drug cost analysis to assure continuing maximal economy. Maintains an elaborate system of file retrieval. Works closely with appropriate staff (administrators, information technologists, supervisory and other pharmacists, and other procurement technicians) to ensure seamless operation of the Drug Accountability Program. Takes a lead role in preparation, performance, reporting and analysis of periodic inventories of pharmaceutical and supply items as instructed by management with intent to maintain inventory turn performance that meets or exceeds VISN and National goals and expectations. Coordinates information with Formulary Manager or designee to ensure all new medication/supply products are added to the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VISTA) drug file as well as all medications that are no longer manufactured. Functions as resource to all members of the pharmacy staff regarding product availability, inventory status and contracts. Assists in development and/or execution of procedures for special handling products available only through manufacturer-created specialty programs and their tracking. Responds promptly to stock outages by making local purchases, arranging for inter-pharmacy transfer of products or prescription labels, use of pharmacist intervention, and borrowing to ensure that patient care needs are met. Develops and maintains borrow/loan procedures and follows up on accounts. Maintains records for review and clears borrow/loan accounts at appropriate intervals. Utilizes an excellent working knowledge of all US Pharmacopoeia, Joint Commission, and VA manual storage requirements to determine well-defined drug and supply storage locations with a special emphasis on security and special storage instructions. Applies knowledge of pharmacy law, privacy laws/regulations, and local/VISN/national memoranda, policies, directives and regulations to pharmacy practice. Performs all other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday: 08:00AM to 04:30PM, but tours may vary depending on the needs of the service to include rotating days, nights, weekends, and/or holidays. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (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 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. For positions above the full performance level (GS-07 and above), 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). 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).Grandfather Provision: A Pharmacy Technician employed in the VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (11/07/2023) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Pharmacy Technician (Procurement/Inventory), GS-08: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07) and demonstrate the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) below. 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. 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. 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. Assignments. 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. Preferred Experience: Successful acquisition and maintenance of a Government Purchase Card and National Acquisition Center (NAC) issued Ordering Officer Delegation (OOD) for Pharmaceutical Medical Supplies. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. (VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G28 - Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standards.)The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08. Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing/sitting for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs., and bending/stooping. The work may entail repetitive wrist movement while using various size syringes, vial cap removal, and typing.

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 Tucson VA Medical Center 3601 South Sixth Avenue Tucson, AZ 85723 US
• Name: Seth Hickman
• Phone: (858) 552-8585 X7394
• Email: [email protected]