Summary
Pharmacy technician, clinical specialist position performs clinical and administrative support for specialized areas of clinical pharmacy practice, primarily anticoagulation and primary care services. Clinical functions include independently taking medication histories and counseling patients while working in collaboration with licensed clinical pharmacist practitioners to support the delivery of timely, patient-centered, evidence-based comprehensive medication management and delivery.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
The area of consideration will be referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent Mann-Grandstaff VAMC facility employees.
2. Current permanent Agency (Department of Veterans Affairs) employees.
3. Current permanent employees of other Federal agencies.
Duties
Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf
vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf
All duties of the CPhT will be performed under the direct supervision of collaborating licensed Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) with oversight from Associate Chief of Pharmacy, Clinical. Work assignments will be conducted independently. Assigned activities may include:
- Completes outreach to Veterans under guidance and supervision of the CPP.
- Participates in patient-facing modes of communication and care delivery.
- Works as a whole health and health equity extender, enhancing CPP productivity, and increasing Veteran, family, and caregiver satisfaction.
- Obtains health history, chief complaint, and completes medication reviews. If information requires clinical decision/adjudication the CPhT must notify the licensed practitioner.
- Completes assigned clinical reminders, preventative health inventory screens, performs medication reviews, places consult and supply orders for practitioner signature.
- CPhT supporting licensed team members may complete clinical reminder screenings only. CPhT are prohibited from completing or satisfying any clinical reminder that require a comprehensive assessment.
- CPhT are prohibited from releasing consults and supply orders without a provider signature.
- CPhT may record/transcribe historical/prior care, including care for the purposes of satisfying a clinical reminder within the electronic health record only when written documentation is available and contains all required information.
- Manages incoming Veteran calls, voicemail and secure messages and addresses action items as appropriate.
- Provides population management support using patient care dashboards to identify patients for potential intervention.
- Collaborates with CPP and Interdisciplinary team (IDT) staff to prepare for future workload.
- Contacts Veterans using approved verbiage and communication methods regarding normal laboratory results.
- Provides support to ensure successful preparation and completion of telehealth encounters.
- Documents medications, treatments, interventions, patient education, phone communication, and all other pertinent data in the patient's Electronic Health Record (EHR).
- Supports licensed practitioners with administrative entering of orders, medical renewal requests, prepares informed consent, or place consults.
- Evaluates INR stability, assesses etiology of INR's out of range and collaborates with the Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner to develop a plan of action.
- Communicates any changes in medications/diet, any evident reason for changes in INR value, and any abnormal laboratory findings to the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist.
- Communicates with other staff any complications of anticoagulation therapy or other problems.
- Supports rescheduling patients who have missed appointments, phone interviews of patients who have obtained INRs from outside labs.
- To support quality management, the CPhT prints weekly schedules and "No Shows/Lost to Follow-Up" reports. All complex problems are brought to the Clinical Pharmacy Practitioners attention.
- Assists Clinical Pharmacist Providers with follow-up patient communication for patients being managed for anticoagulation and other chronic diseases/ conditions managed by CPPs.
- Other duties as assigned by the Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners or Associate Chief or Pharmacy, Clinical.
Work Schedule: Monday Thru Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and 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)
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
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Requirements
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.
- You may be required to serve a probationary period.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
- Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
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: 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:
1. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
OR
2. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
Grade Determinations:
Pharmacy Technician-Clinical Specialist (Anticoagulation) GS-8
Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade 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.
OR
NHA as a ExCPT.
*In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs.
- 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.
- Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures.
- Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy.
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.
Preferred Experience: Anticoagulation Clinic Experience. Cerner/Oracle electronic health record experience.
References: VA Handbook 5005/159 Part II Appendix G28
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-8.
Physical Requirements: Use of fingers, use of computer equipment and telephone/virtual communication. Environmental factors include working closely with others.
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/.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Pharmacy Certification PTCB; CPhT; NHA or ExCPT
- Resume
NOTE: Claiming Facility, Agency, or Federal Employee Eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent (not more than 1 year old) Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 (Not an award SF-50). Your SF-50 must include:
- Position title, pay plan/series/grade
- Tenure code
- Position Occupied type of appointment (Competitive or Excepted)
Within Grade Increase, General Adjustments, or Promotion SF-50's are best, Award SF-50's do not include this pertinent information.
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to 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)
- License
- Pharmacy Certification PTCB; CPhT; NHA or ExCPT
- Performance Appraisal
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 06/18/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12423057.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.
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