The duties of this position assist with and contribute to the provision of pharmaceutical care to patients of Eastern Kansas Healthcare System under the guidance of registered pharmacists and the direct supervision of the Pharmacy Operations Manager or Pharmacist on duty. The incumbent is a highly specialized technician who serves as the controlled substance and research technician, responsible for the management of all controlled substances and medications handled on an outpatient basis.

Duties

VAEKHCS is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans. Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf Major Duties a. Customer Service (1) Demonstrates courteous, friendly, cooperative, efficient, effective and professional interaction with patients, patient caregivers, colleagues, and hospital staff. (2) Exhibits responsive, empathetic attitude towards patient's needs. (3) ls familiar with, supportive of, and able to verbalize hospital and department policies and procedures. (4) Demonstrates familiarity with pharmacy computer programs and is able to retrieve and provide accurate information upon request. (5) Is motivated to serve Veteran patient population and follow-through on promised actions. b. Distributive (1) The incumbent maintains responsibility for complex technical and automated support functions requiring extensive knowledge of formulary medications and facility-controlled substance and investigational policies and procedures. (2) Controlled Substances This position has primary responsibility for the handling of all outpatient-controlled substances and for the timely filling, on a daily basis of all outpatient-controlled substance prescriptions: window, mail, or overnight delivery. Maintains complete vault and drug security when working in vault. Interprets orders, assembles materials, prepares, packages, labels, completes required documentation, includes required handouts, and sets up all finished controlled substance prescriptions in an organized manner for check by pharmacist. Utilizes knowledge base to alert pharmacist to potential issues, including name alerts, product shortages, and computer entry discrepancies. Maintains accurate inventories of all controlled substances and cache medications, as dispensed, and ensures secure distribution of noncontrolled items maintained in the vault (e.g. erectile dysfunction medications and Hepatitis C medications). Works closely with procurement staff to ensure adequate inventory level s of all controlled substance stock for outpatient dispensing. (3) Investigational Studies This position has primary responsibility for the handling of all outpatient investigational medications. Prepares informational binders for each protocol with guidance and assistance from clinical staff and the outpatient supervisor. Documents the receipt, dispensing, and return of all research medication. Ensures that patient consent forms are present prior to processing research prescriptions. Interpret all investigational outpatient orders, assembles materials, prepares, packages, labels, completes required documentation, and sets up the finished prescriptions in an organized manner for check by pharmacist. (4) Administrative Assists with special projects as requested by Management. Performs timely completion of monthly pharmacy and unit inspections, with particular emphasis on controlled substance and investigational inventories. Assists with scheduling/rescheduling issues, and coordinates workflow with checking pharmacist. Provides for routine filing and retrieval of hard copy documents (Schedule II prescriptions and VISTA fill documents, Schedule III-V controlled substance dispensing receipts, vault inventories, and controlled substance receipt logs. (5) Clinical Reviews and interprets patient medication orders and utilizes knowledge to alert pharmacists to potential problems/issues. Notes patient refill compliance and alerts clinical pharmacist(s) with noted concerns. (6) Training / Education Completes required education requirements to maintain certification. Completes required training on a timely basis. Assists in training, orientation, and oversight of new pharmacists, technicians, and intermittent technicians. (7) General Demonstrates an ability to function independently with high level of productivity and accuracy. Demonstrates an ability to identify problems, solve problems, and make recommendations for appropriate action. Demonstrates familiarity with the computerized prescription process, and VA electronic technology by the ability to negotiate the VISA and ScriptPro systems. Work Schedule: Sunday - Thursday overnight tour - off tours, weekends, & holidays as needed by the department Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: None required. 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 Determination for 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). Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding, oncology, controlled substances, medication history review, clinical specialist (anticoagulation, pain, infectious diseases), clinical informatics, automation, immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession. The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area. The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products, filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations, taking medication histories and counseling patients, managing automation, managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for all GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated: 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08. Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45lbs and over); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (3 hours per day); standing (8 hours per day); kneeling (2 hours per day); repeated bending (4 hours per day); both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; far vision correctable in one eye 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted).

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 Eastern Kansas Health Care System 2200 SW Gage Blvd Topeka, KS 66622 US
• Name: Christopher Jackson
• Phone: 785-350-3111 X53152
• Email: [email protected]