Outpatient Pharmacy Technician - Controlled Substance
What you'd do
The Controlled Substance Pharmacy Technician is a highly specialized technician, who will perform a variety of complex and highly regulated functions in the management of controlled substances in the outpatient pharmacy. The incumbent is expected to maintain a high degree of accurate productivity and performance while being extremely sensitive to the specific contribution to total patient care.
Major duties
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional FUNCTIONS OR SCOPES OF PRACTICE A. General Responsibilities: Accurately interpret, fills, and readies prescriptions with appropriate medications for pharmacist verification. 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. Inspects each dosage form dispensed for damage or discoloration and removes damaged or expired products from stock. Provides supervisor with name, manufacturer, lot number, and expiration dates of all damaged or expired controlled substances needing to be adjusted in inventory, including when newly opened, sealed containers contain a greater or lesser quantity than noted on the package, so that balance adjustment can be performed. Assists with securely packaging all damaged, expired, or returned controlled substances awaiting destruction. 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. Manages inventory of controlled substances and works closely with procurement staff to ensure adequate inventory levels of all controlled substance stock for dispensing and compounding, including adequate on-hand amount of compounded sterile controlled substances. Maintains accurate inventories of all controlled substances, as dispensed, and ensures secure distribution of non-controlled items maintained in the vault. B. Other Duties: Provides exceptional customer service to Veterans and team members. Accurately interpret, fills, and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification. 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. Assists with inventory management and ordering of medications. 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. Conducts periodic ward inspection of patient care areas. Assists in total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services. The technician will work with, support, and substitute, as needed, for other Outpatient technicians, as well as be asked to staff during staffing shortages. Serves as back-up to research pharmacy technician as needed and maintains knowledge of the Research Program policies and procedures. C. Education Seeks personal and professional development opportunities which enhance personal well-being, customer service skills, and technical expertise. Educates non-pharmacy personnel and patients regarding Pharmacy Service's procedures, policies, and processes. Serves as preceptor for pharmacy learners. Completes all required mandatory training by assigned due dates. Maintains continuing education requirements as required for position, license or certification. Assists with and helps conduct the training, orientation, retraining, and documentation of training of employees to Pharmacy Service policies and procedures. Work Schedule: 0830-1700 Compressed/Flexible: N/A 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 Telework: N/A Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 02840F
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. English Language Proficiency: Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Certification: 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. A COPY OF YOUR CERTIFICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION. Assignments: 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 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). In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements listed above, you must meet the following: GS-8 Pharmacy Technician Grade Determinations: Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7). One year of experience as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA): GS-7 1. Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work. 2. Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent. 3. Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers. 4. Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students. 5. Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution. 6. Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. 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. 2. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. 3. 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-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-8. Physical Requirements: Refence VA Directive and Handbook 5019
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