Pharmacy Technician
What you'd do
The pharmacy technician functions in multiple areas across the system, providing various technical support services within the pharmacy department, including filling, preparation and dispensing of prescriptions, sterile compounding preparation, management of automated dispensing equipment (ADE), inventory management and multiple types of customer contact services.
Major duties
Accurately interprets, fills, and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification. Maintains a clean and orderly work area by ensuring that all stock and equipment are properly organized in their designated places, and that all shelves and counters are free of dust and debris, thereby creating optimal workspace. Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile). a. Prepares products requiring compounding and/or reconstitution in either large batches for more than one patient or in small batches to fill a single prescription or drug order. b. Correctly interprets prescription orders. Selects, and measures appropriate ingredients, mixes ingredients in a safe and effective manner, inspects the final product for accuracy, labels the product, maintains records of the manufacturing process, and attains a final check by a pharmacist. c. Uses standard protocols to determine an accurate expiration date or beyond use date for each batch prepared. d. Proficiently operates equipment including but not limited to balances and mixing machines required to prepare compounded and/or reconstituted products. 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. Utilizes automated dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff, following all safety and quality assurance (QA) procedures. Reports automation malfunctions timely to the supervisor as appropriate. Records expiration dates in automated prescription dispensing systems upon filling or restocking. Performs monthly inspections of assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and removal of soon-to-expire or expired medications. Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements. Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to United States Pharmacopeia (USP), Joint Commission, and VA guidelines, including the storage of high-risk, look a-like sound-alike, hazardous, controlled substances, corrosive chemical, flammable liquids, and refrigerated items. Receives, checks, rotates, and stocks items received from pharmacy procurement section, identifying and reconciling any discrepancies to ensure the correct items have been received. Monitors refrigerator, freezer, and/or room temperature and humidity in assigned areas, responding to alerts with appropriate correction or escalation as indicated. Possesses technical knowledge of aspects of drug characteristics and nomenclature including: a. Generic and brand names b. Dosage forms c. Various systems of weights and measurements d. Drug product codes e. Drug interchangeability and therapeutic equivalence Assists in training and orientation of new pharmacy technicians, pharmacists, interns, and students as needed. 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 various circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality. Performs duties of all lower-grade pharmacy technicians as needed. Assists higher-grade technicians as needed and assigned. May be assigned to work in other areas of pharmacy service as deemed necessary by the Chief, Pharmacy Service or Supervisor. Under supervision, follows USP 797/800 Guidelines for the compounding of all sterile preparations. Inventories and replenishes emergency carts and/or ADE cabinets with a second view. Collects drug use evaluation data for quality improvements purposes. Work Schedule: An 8-hour tour with rotating weekends, holidays, evenings and nights on a fair and equitable basis for service needs. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Pay: Competitive regular salary increases. 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. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
What you need to qualify
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). 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). 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements VA HR staff must use the following criteria to determine the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Pharmacy Technician, GS-03. (1) Education and Experience. (a) One year of post-secondary education. OR (b) Six months of general experience. OR (c) Student Technician. A student enrolled in an approved nationally accredited pharmacy technician program for an occupation identified in 38 U.S.C. 7405(a)(1)(A) or (B) may be appointed on a temporary full-time, part-time or intermittent basis under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. 7405(a)(1)(D) for a period not to exceed two years or the duration of the individual's program. GS-04. (1) Education and Experience. (a) Completion of two years of post-secondary coursework related to pharmacy (e.g., 12 semester hours of science and mathematics courses). OR (b) Completion of one of the following: i Six months of experience, that demonstrated knowledge of medication or medical field practice. OR ii Successful completion of a military or nationally recognized pharmacy technician education/training program. American Society of Health System Pharmacists® (ASHP), American Pharmacist Association (APHA), Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), PTCB or NHA are examples of acceptable professional organizations recognizing such training programs. NOTE: Training courses recognized by PTCB and NHA are not actual certifications. OR iii One year of experience equivalent to next lower grade level. (2) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the education or experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Ability to follow policies and procedures. (b) Ability to maintain appropriate files. (c) Ability to communicate with patients and other health professionals. (d) Ability to follow both written and verbal instructions. (e) Ability to operate office software/equipment to include, computers, software applications and printers. GS-05. (1) Education or Experience. (a) Successful completion of four years post-secondary education with courses related to pharmacy (e.g., 48 semester hours of science, mathematics, pharmacy) or a bachelor's degree. OR (b) An associate's degree in pharmacy technician or technology (48 semester hours of concentrated pharmacy technician training). OR (c) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. (2) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the education or experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of basic pharmacy operations. (b) Knowledge of pharmaceuticals to perform duties in pharmacy functional areas. (c) Knowledge of pharmaceutical nomenclature (including generic, chemical and proprietary names of drug). (d) Ability to fill prescriptions. (e) Ability to use pharmacy information systems or basic pharmacy dispensing equipment with oversight. GS-06. (1) Education or Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level. (2) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of Federal and state laws related to pharmacy practice. (b) Knowledge of preparation, storage and distribution of medication products including those requiring special handling and documentation. (c) Ability to use pharmacy information systems or operate pharmacy dispensing equipment. (d) Knowledge of basic inventory procedures. (e) Ability to communicate with patients and staff and direct questions to appropriate personnel. 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 6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 3 to GS 6.
Before you apply
Federal applications are different: your resume should be 3–5 pages and mirror the language of this announcement. Read our federal resume guide first — it's the #1 reason qualified people get screened out.
Don't miss the next one.
Get an email the moment a similar federal job opens — postings can close in as little as 5 days.