Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all U.S. citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
General Pharmacy Technician Duties

• Required to have principles, practices, concepts, & theories providing for sound independent work.
• Dispenses medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies, & procedures to ensure safe mediation distribution.
• Resolves pharmacy/medication issues with members of the healthcare team, Veterans, & external customers.
• Responsible for computerized prescription process & input of prescriptions & medication orders or electronic equivalent
• Recognize & solve problems, makes recommendations to avoid potential problems, & refers appropriate concerns to Lead Technician/Procurement Technician or supervising Pharmacist.
• Uses knowledge of policies & procedures for inventory management to receive & inventory pharmacy stock, relay inventory information to the Lead Technician/Procurement Technician, & to obtain additional medication & supplies from our prime vendor when Lead Technician/Procurement Technician is unavailable.
• Protects patient sensitive information, electronic & print in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, Federal Regulations, VA statutes & policy, & VHA policy.
• Troubleshoot, operate & care for automated Pharmacy equipment.
• Accurately compounds medications for inpatient & outpatient use following written instructions & using proper aseptic technique without a second review.
• Conducts monthly ward & clinic inspection per VAMC policies & procedures.
• Is aware of general drug therapy guidelines such as duplicate therapy (e.g.: checks to ensure inpatients on enoxaparin are not also on heparin drip.
• Uses extensive knowledge of drug & medication brand & generic names; general & specific storage requirements; expiration date requirements; dosage forms; pharmaceutical weights & measures; medical terminology; & the computerized prescription process.

INPATIENT: INTRA VENOUS ADMIXTURE & UNIT DOSE:

• Uses knowledge & ability to safely & accurately clean IV Hoods & prepare IVs & routine sterile products using proper aseptic technique.
• Performs complex calculations to ensure proper dose is prepared.
• Accurately & safely compounds chemotherapy & hazardous products using aseptic technique.
• Communicates with the supervising Pharmacist & nursing staff to ensure adequate stock levels of bulk IV fluids is available on the wards.
• Responsible for maintaining & operating Omnicell automated dispensing system & restocks on regular basis without a pharmacist review.
• Responsible for obtaining up to date UNIT DOSE ward pick list, filling the UNIT DOSE cart accurately & delivering the cart on a timely basis.
• Responsible for pre-packing oral tablet & capsules for use in UNIT DOSE area, & for relabeling injectable, topical, & other items with BCMA labels for use by inpatients, using accurate quality control measures.

OUTPATIENT AREA:

• Uses knowledge of policies & procedures for prescription interpretation, drug selection, prescription fillinQ & dispensinQ.
• Responsible for outpatient Pharmacy Call Center telephone calls, processes prescription renewals, refill & partial requests in VISTA & follows up each telephone call, enters prescription renewal requests into Access program.
• Fills prescriptions for controlled substances following VAMC policies & procedures, & ensuring the perpetual inventory is correct.
• Packages medications & supplies for mailing, observing special considerations for controlled substances, & items that require refrigeration or special h&ling.
• Dispenses prescriptions using proper procedure to ensure identification of recipient including verifying photo identification & use of ScriptPro dispensing station.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, weekends/holidays, variable shifts
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary & 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) & 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.
Functional Statement #: 59279-A
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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:

• Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
• 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-07:

Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade GS-6 level and demonstrate the KSAs below.

Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:

• PTCB as a CPhT.
• NHA as a ExCPT.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for all GS-7 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated:

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.

Preferred Experience:
Certification and Education

• Certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the National Health career Association (NHA).
• Completion of a formal pharmacy technician training program or equivalent experience.

Work Experience:

• Prior experience working as a pharmacy technician, preferably in a healthcare or hospital setting.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of pharmaceutical terminology, medications, and basic pharmacology.
• Proficiency in dosage calculations and preparation of medications.
• Ability to manage inventory, supply orders, and record-keeping with attention to detail.
• Familiarity with automated medication dispensing machines.

Customer Service:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for interacting with healthcare providers and veterans.
• Ability to provide compassionate and efficient service to a diverse patient population.

Regulatory Knowledge:

• Understanding of HIPAA regulations and the ability to handle PHI and sensitive data responsibly.
• Awareness of safety standards and infection control procedures.

Technological Proficiency:

• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new technologies and systems.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Professional Certification
• Resume

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps