The Compound Sterile Product (CSP) Oncology Pharmacy Technician is a highly specialized technician, who will perform a variety of complex functions in the preparation of chemotherapy and other compounded sterile preparations for administration to the veteran population at the Columbia VA HealthCare System in Columbia, SC.

Duties

Total Rewards: Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf Duties include but not limited to: 1. Performs essential role in preparation, compounding, dispensing, and distribution of sterile and nonsterile hazardous medication within designated sterile compounding areas. 2. Receives, reviews, and prepares physician order for cytotoxic agents, pre-medication, and investigational drug agents. 3. Performs accurate product identification labeling, dosage calculation, and compounding of agents by utilizing package literature, written procedural guidelines and application of specialized knowledge. Labeling includes any additional information to ensure safety and efficacy to the patient and other handlers of the product. 4. Upon completion of filling the prescription/medication order, the incumbent contacts the assigned pharmacist for the final check and then delivers prepared products to wards, clinics or other designated areas. 5. Communicates regularly with nursing staff on wards and in the clinic areas regarding treatments and administration times of doses to ensure quality of care and reduce waste. 6. Successfully complete assignments and maintain annual competencies to compound hazardous and non-hazardous IV sterile preparations according to USP and standards. 7. Follows proper aseptic preparation techniques when compounding hazardous and non-hazardous medications. 8. Reviews anticipated inventory needs and notifies procurement technician in a timely manner of products required. 9. Assists in maintaining all required records related to sterile compounding. Maintains a daily perpetual log of prepared products to track actual drug usage and workload data compilation and analysis. 10. Receives hazardous IV chemotherapy inventory stock according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) guidelines placing in proper storage areas, rotating stock on shelves, and removing/replacing outdated items. 11. Maintains Chemo/IV room medication inventory, compounding supplies and cleaning product to ensure availability and minimize waste. Documents both unregulated and regulated chemotherapy waste before properly disposing of the products. 12. Conducts daily, weekly, and monthly IV room cleaning to include check for soon to expire medications. Communicates to the Oncology Pharmacist and/or Supervisor when assistance is needed to address any deficiencies. 13. Manufactures uncomplicated and/or complicated parenteral admixtures to be delivered in the form of large volume, small volume, infusion syringe or other as required. 14. Prepares sterile ophthalmic preparations and other complex sterile pharmaceuticals such as total parenteral alimentations and cardioplegia solutions. 15. Assists in the central IV sterile suite as needed. 16. Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of USP 795/797/800 chapters and hazardous drug handling to assist in management, compliance, staff education activities, training, and room certifications. 17. Participates in glove fingertip and media fill testing, maintain competences passing didactic practical skill assessment initially and annually thereafter. 18. Assists in airborne particulate and microbial testing and surface testing to ensure cleaning schedules are met. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm, May be required to work weekends and holidays during periods of staffing shortages if needed. Tour of duty is subject to change based on agency's needs. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 544-55844F 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 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. e. 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. f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. g. 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 Determinations: Pharmacy Technician, GS-08. (1) Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below. (2) Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: (a) PTCB as a CPhT. OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT. (3) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). 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: (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.) Note: See Specialized Area.in the Definitions Section. (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: One year of experience working in a sterile compounding suite preparing chemotherapy medications. Knowledgeable of United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and USP compounding standards of antineoplastic/cytotoxic agents, including the precautions needed in the handling of these products. 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-08. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

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 Columbia VA Health Care System 6439 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209 US
• Name: M. Nicole Goodbee
• Phone: 470-351-8089
• Email: [email protected]