Pharmacy Technicians at the GS-7 level are nationally certified by PTCB as a CPhT or NHA as a ExCPT and can work autonomously, using independent judgment to perform a full range of duties. Pharmacy technicians at this level level can mentor and train lower grade technicians in the practice setting. The employee will assist the pharmacist in providing optimal care and timely service in accordance with the mission, vision, and goals of the VCB VA Healthcare System and Pharmacy.

Duties

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws 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 The Pharmacy Technician is expected to accomplish all duties related to stocking, delivering, inventory, inspections, assembling automated dispensing orders, prescription assembly, controlled substances distribution, unit-dose drug packaging, dispensing, distribution, and any other function related to pharmaceutical practices. The Pharmacy Technician performs all duties under the supervision and is expected to acquire and maintain a high degree of accurate productivity and performance. The pharmacy technician: Accurately interpret, keys, fills, and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification. Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly condition by assuring that all stock and equipment are in assigned places and all shelves and counters etc. are free of dust (high and low) and debris to create optional work areas. Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines, including the storage of high-risk, look a-like sound a- like, hazardous, controlled substances, corrosive chemical, flammable liquids, and refrigerated items. Receives, checks, rotates, and places in stock all items received from pharmacy procurement section and identifies and reconciles any discrepancies to assure correct items have been received. Utilizes automation dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff following all safety and QA procedures. Reports automation malfunctions timely to the supervisor as appropriate Records expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system upon receipt. Perform monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed. Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements. Reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile). This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used for final pharmacist verification. Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution. Identifies basic therapeutic problems, such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention. Assists in training and orientation of new staff technicians, interns, and students. Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program consisting of students, externs, interns, residents, and professional and non-professional staff members. Demonstrates the ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality. Performs duties of all lower grade technicians as needed. Participate in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy. Assists in quality improvement activities by participating in assessment and action teams that will improve service as assigned. Assists higher level technicians as needed. Duties are continued in the Education Section of this announcement. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM and 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM rotating. This tour of duty will be a rotating schedule through Outpatient Pharmacies, as determined by the respective section supervisor. 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. 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: Ad/Hoc Telework may be authorized. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

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-07 In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-07 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06). 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: 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. Preferred Experience: Must have experience to receive, read, sort and interpret prescriptions and determine kind, strength and dosage of drugs to be dispensed. Can correlate instructions on the prescription with Pharmacy Policy. Experience to generate labels and processes prescriptions by obtaining correct stock, counting or measuring correct amount of medication Must have comprehensive knowledge of pharmacy automation and computer systems and ability to successfully operate and maintain pharmacy equipment. - normal to the operation (general office equipment, packaging and mail processing equipment, pharmaceutical: electronic counters, scales, repackaging machines, and maintain work in a clean, neat orderly manner Has the ability to communicate orally and in writing to offer non-clinical information to clinical staff and patients in a friendly and courteous manner Possess clerical skills required for automatic data processing (ADP) prescription information entry, collating prescriptions or refill documents with ADP labels generated, record storage and retrieval Must demonstrate ability to adjust to change or work pressure in a pleasant manner; handle differences of opinion in a businesslike fashion; follow instructions conscientiously; and function as a team member, helping the group effort where possible 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-07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-07 Physical Requirements: Individuals, including wage-grade drivers, title 5, title 38, and hybrid title 38 employees or volunteers who are required to operate a government owned or leased vehicle to successfully carry out their assigned duties must be medically cleared prior to appointment (positions that require a CDL are covered under a separate OF-178). Assessment must be made for any acute or chronic medical/physical condition or medication use which interferes with the ability operate the appropriate Government-owned or -leased vehicle safely and without undue risk to themselves or others. The following requirements must be met: distant vision 20/40 in one eye with or without correction, field of vision 70 degrees, ability to distinguish red, green and amber, whispered voice at five feet, average hearing loss of not greater than 40 dbs. at 500, 1000 and 2,000 Hz.

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/.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

NOTE: If your school was accredited by a body recognized by the US Department of Education at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the US Department of Education website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

Duties Continued:

• Completes all National, VISN, local, and Pharmacy mandatory trainings in a timely manner.
• Maintains national certification with PTCB and CPhT or NHA as a ExCPT.
• Complies with all VHA, Medical Center, and Pharmacy regulations, directives, policies, and procedures.
• May be assigned to work in other areas/clinics of pharmacy service as deemed necessary by the Chief, Pharmacy Service or Supervisor.
• Receives orders into VistA computer system on arrival
• Accurately interpret, fills, and readies prescriptions with appropriate medications for pharmacist verification
• Appropriately restocks controlled substances items in automated secured cabinets (i.e., Pyxis) in pharmacy or throughout medical center, as assigned.
• Documents all controlled substance related transactions as indicated by VA and DEA guidelines.
• Assures that inventory counts are correct at the time of restocking.
• Ensures that proper handoff occurs when receiving or delivering controlled substances, always assuring that these medications are never left unsecured.
• Reports unresolvable discrepancies to immediate area supervisor for resolution. Assist in investigating, witnessing, and resolving discrepancies.
• Complies with all laws, regulations, directives, policies, and procedures applying to the dispensing, storage, transfer, inventory, and accountability of controlled substances.
• Assists inspectors with the inventory and accountability inspections.
• Inventories and replenishes emergency trays.
• Operates and maintains automated dispensing unit dose systems.
• Inspects packaged items for accuracy and suitability before submitting for final check, prior to distribution to hospital areas.
• Assures repackaged dosage forms are labeled according to USP and VA standards and attains a final review by a pharmacist.
• Maintains repackaging records that assures all regulatory and review standards are met.
• Trouble-shoots minor mechanical problems of all automated systems as they occur and coordinates resolution of more involved mechanical or software problems with Supervisor, vendor help desk, ADPAC, etc. as appropriate.
• Correctly inventories, assesses, and determines the need for ADC stock.
• Follows established policies and procedures, schedules, inventory levels, and usage rate reports to determine appropriate stock levels for specific areas of use.
• Accurately fills prescription items for wards using Automatic Replenishment reports.
• Performs and documents an inspection of assigned clinic areas for medication storage. Removes all expired and deteriorated drugs from the automated dispensing stations, stocks shelves, and the unit dose automated dispensing systems.
• Assures that each area that is inspected meets established standards for appropriate drug storage conditions including drug security for inspection and accreditation.
• Assembles prescriptions properly with the correct drug, strength, quantity, auxiliary labels, and prescription labels. for window dispensing and mail delivery
• Assures that the correct medication is filled by using bar code scanning on stock bottles and prescription labels.
• Supports automation by manually completing prescriptions not processed through the automation dispensing machine.
• Assures the timely completion of all prescriptions.
• Verifies the patient's identification following the Medical Center's policies (i.e., two patient identifiers)
• Verifies that the patient receives the correct prescriptions by using VA software (i.e., VISTA and Automation Robot barcode scanning)
• Verifies that the patient has received all prescriptions (i.e., refrigerated, controlled substances, bulk medications, etc.)
• Utilizes and comprehends the mail shipping programs used by the facility (i.e., USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.) for overnight delivery of non- controlled and controlled prescriptions.
• Performs searches, updates patient information, and generates shipping reports as requested by the supervisor.
• Calls patients to arrange delivery of refrigerated prescriptions and verifies patients address.
• Packages prescriptions appropriately, as to assure that packages are not damaged within transit (i.e., bubble wrap, ice blocks, insulated containers, etc.)
• Utilizes VA software programs to check narratives and problem solve deliveries for patients with no physical address.

Contacts

• Address VA TX Valley Coastal Bend HCS 2601 Veterans Drive Harlingen, TX 78550 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]