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 at the VA Western Colorado Health Care System. They are responsible for ordering medications and supplies from required sources and meeting contract compliance while maintaining multiple complex accounts with the PPV.

Duties

Evaluates, analyzes, and coordinates workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy. Ensures Pharmacy procurement, distribution, and storage requirements to maintain a safe working environment required. 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. Assists 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. Procures, distributes and storages 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. Accounts for all Pharmacy purchasing functions including inventory control, purchasing and reconciliation of all monies and accounts. Ensures Operational responsibility for all ongoing 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 Pharmacy Service and facility needs, and appropriately disperses stock into designated storage areas. Uses comprehensive knowledge of VA procurement and formulary process. Determines, establishes, and modifies as necessary, 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. Communicates directly with Prime Vendor, manufacturer's representatives, and other wholesalers in order to maintain supplies, to meet the needs of the Medical Center. Keeps abreast of all manufacturer drug shortages or projected shortages, takes appropriate action to ensure a sufficient supply of affected products, and makes pharmacy personnel aware of shortages. Ensures proper use of issued Purchase Card, including obtaining approved medications and supplies form federally approved sources, reconciling Purchase Card invoices and control point activities and coordinating with Accounting Section and Fiscal Service in a timely manner. Responsible for all aspects of Drug Accountability program in VISTA, including downloading all prime vendor invoices and the accuracy of this process. Supervises pharmacy stocking, ensuring that stock is rotated, all outdated or recalled items are removed and properly disposed of and maintaining an appropriate level of inventory. Maintains contacts at other area hospitals and pharmacies and tracks and makes provisions to borrow and repay items on an emergency basis. Maintains integrity of controlled substance inventory by ensuring that all controlled substances are added to the inventory when they arrive and are signed out of inventory as they are dispensed. Comprehensive knowledge of controlled substance policies and procedures and uses that knowledge to identify and accurately investigate discrepancies. Oversees all aspects of returns contractor process, including reports, monitoring of monies expected/received and controlled substance returns. Quarterly, processes outdated, unusable, and excess inventory for return to prime vendor or returns contractor for credit. Communicates with pharmacy, medical, surgical, and mental health staff to obtain special request/procurement medications, or urgently needed items. Serves as Pharmacy Recall Coordinator. Pro-actively keeps abreast of all manufacturer and FDA recalls. Notifies Pharmacy personnel and affected Medical Center staff of recalled items. Ensures that recalled items are removed from all patient care areas and Pharmacy shelves and are properly disposed of. Trains and orients new and existing pharmacy facility employees, students, and backup procurement technician, on proper policies and procedures. Assists the Pharmacy Chief in drug cost analysis to assure continuing maximal economy. This includes identifying drugs with the various manufacturers concerned to determine the best procurement cost, unit dose purchases, identification of less expensive alternative medications of the same therapeutic classification, etc. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 59276-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

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 Health career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). 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. 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). GRADE DETERMINATIONS: In addition to the basic requirements for appointment, VA HR staff must use the following criteria to determine the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. 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. Pharmacy Technician (Procurement/Inventory): 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. i Additional Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). (A) 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. (B) 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 Western Colorado Health Care System 2121 North Avenue Grand Junction, CO 81501 US
• Name: VISN 19 HR Contact Center
• Phone: 719-227-4600
• Email: [email protected]