Pharmacy Technician - Clinical Contact Center
What you'd do
This Pharmacy Technician position is located in the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System located in New Orleans, Louisiana and works in the Clinical Contact Center as part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team answering incoming contacts with appropriate disposition, carrying out administrative pharmacy functions upon patient request, and helping support clinical activities.
Major duties
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional This Pharmacy Technician position works in the Clinical Contact Center where assigned clinical activities and functions will be completed in accordance with approved pharmacy protocols. Duties include but are not limited to: Actively and diligently treats all Veterans with respect and utmost dignity. Seeks to solve Veteran's concerns at first contact. Receives and responds to pharmacy related contacts including, but not limited to, telephone calls, VA Health chat messages, and secure messages, from Veterans, their family members, and/or legal representatives. Seeks assistance from designated Lead Technician, Clinical Pharmacist, or Supervisor when responding to unusual questions or when reasonable attempts to satisfy a caller have been unsuccessful. Reviews computer medication profiles for therapeutic duplication, prescription non-compliance and allergies/drug reactions. Processes and submits patient requests for new prescription orders and renewals (including controlled substances) into the computer system. Uses approved Pharmacy Service protocols, when appropriate, to satisfy patient medication requests. Documents patient contact and resolution in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) to include what was requested, what action was taken, and any other information which may be pertinent during future research. Assists in training lower graded technicians and technician students. Participates in continuous daily improvement and Clinical Contact Center initiatives. Work Schedule: Multiple rotating shifts. Includes nights, days, holidays and weekends. Schedule will be discussed during interview, and is subject to change based on facility needs. Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (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: Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 99328S. 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. 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). 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: 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). OR National Health-career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). 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). 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: 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: In addition to the basic requirements for appointment listed above. Pharmacy Technician, GS-06. Education or Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level (GS-05). Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of Federal and state laws related to pharmacy practice. Knowledge of preparation, storage and distribution of medication products including those requiring special handling and documentation. Ability to use pharmacy information systems or operate pharmacy dispensing equipment. Knowledge of basic inventory procedures. Ability to communicate with patients and staff and direct questions to appropriate personnel. Assignments. Pharmacy technicians at the full performance level may fill orders, dispense/deliver medications using automated systems or provide technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs. Duties will include delivery of medications to floors/patients, filling medications for the pharmacist to review, checking for expired medications, answering phones with appropriate disposition, preparing sterile products (when applicable) and assisting with basic inventory management such as putting up stock and identifying when medications need to be ordered. Preferred Experience: Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certification. 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-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.
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