Duties
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Duties may include but are not limited to:
Medication Entry
1. Demonstrate ability to accurately navigate and utilize VistA, CPRS, and any other patient databases necessary to perform the job
2. Establish patient eligibility status.
3. Establish provider prescriber authority and appropriately enter new providers into the system.
4. Knowledge of medical terminology and common abbreviates to accurately interpret/transcribe prescriptions.
5. Interpret prescriptions and other orders to determine proper disposition in accordance with established procedures.
6. Ability to perform a full administrative and technical review of the patient's medication and computer profile, being sure that the most current prescriptions are being processed, all older prescriptions for the same mediation(s), checking for remaining authorized refills, checking for frequency of refills.
7. Enter correct medication, strength, dosage form, and quantity into patient's profile.
8. Process refills and appropriately suspend for mail or window pick-up.
9. Pull a medication from suspense and fill for local mail or window pick-up.
Filling
1. Possess an advanced technical knowledge of drug and medication brand names, generic names/chemical names, general and special storage requirements, expiration date requirements, manufacturer/distributor sources, dosage forms, basic pharmaceutical calculations, applicable systems of weights and measures and medical terminology to interpret providers' orders and verify correct drug, dosage form, strength and dose, is prepared and/or distributed.
2. Possess working knowledge of drug use and dosage forms available to be able to screen drug orders and assist the pharmacist in solving potential drug related problems.
3. Participate in the preparation of a prescription order by verifying the correct patient, appropriateness of the label, selecting the proper medication, selecting the correct strength, counting/pouring the intended quantity, packing the medication appropriately, and completing all necessary filling documentation.
4. Ability to perform extemporaneous compounding of approved pharmaceuticals according to standard operating procedures.
5. Ability to processes Out of Stock medications
6. Communicate medication errors, adverse advents, allergies, non-formulary, restricted status and any other medication order related problems for clarification to the pharmacist and/or supervisor.
Duties Continued in the Education Section of this Announcement.
Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00; rotating weekends/holidays; with possibility of evening (3:30pm - 12:00am) or nights (12:00am - 8:00am)
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: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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 trial period.
- 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).
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:
- 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 (GS-7 and above): 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 Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
- Physical Requirements. See physical requirements listed below.
- English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
- Grandfather Provision. 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). A Pharmacy Technician employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (11/7/2023) 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.
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).
Grade Determinations:
In addition to meeting the basic requirements above,
to qualify for the GS-7 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6)
AND demonstrate all the
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) below:
- Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
- Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
- Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
- Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
- Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
- Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.
Preferred Experience:
- One year experience with pharmacy automation, knowledge of troubleshooting, changing paper, changing ribbon, cleaning automation.
- One year knowledge of controlled substances, delivering to Omnicell's.
- One year knowledge of filling patient cassettes, orders, stocking drugs on floors.
- One year experience compounding IV solutions, piggybacks, etc.
- Knowledge of brand and generic names of medication. Knowledge pulling medications for orders.
- Knowledge of computer systems (vista).
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is G-07.
Physical Requirements: The work is mostly standing, walking, bending and climbing; however, some sitting, which involves typing, is also required. Technicians must be able to lift and move cases of IV fluids weighing approximately 30 lbs. Technicians work mainly in area assigned, however, may be required to walk to storage area or to various hospital units and clinics.
Education
Duties Continued:
Ward-Stock/Inventory Management
1. Fills on-demand clinic request for hospital ward or clinic stock.
2. Inventory and restock hospital and inpatient pharmacy code blue crash carts/kits and other specialty emergency kits.
3. Restock and maintain drug items stored in automated dispensing cabinets (ADC) on the hospital units per ADC restocking report. Ensure par levels are maintained and drugs that are set to expire are pulled in advance of expiration date.
4. Ability to operate and maintain automated prepacking device to prepack unit dosage forms to restock ADCs.
5. Assure all medications and supplies are stored appropriately with proper attention to rotation of stock and complying with all laws and station policies.
6. Remove expired medications from stock and follows facility policy and procedures for disposal of medications.
7. Performs ward inspections as assigned: removes/replaces outdated items and excessive quantities of medications and accurately documents findings using appropriate forms in accordance with established policy and procedures.
Non-Hazardous Sterile/Extemporaneous Compounding
1. Ability to interpret IV (ie., admixtures, piggybacks, syringes, TPNs etc..) medication order request by selecting , measuring, and mixing appropriate ingredients safely and aseptically, inspecting the final product for accuracy, labeling the product, recording all pertinent information for record of the preparation of the product, and delivering the product after final verification by a pharmacist.
2. Ability to prepare all sterile compounding using aseptic technique in accordance with facility standing operating procedures. Competency must be maintained every 6 months to perform the assigned duty.
3. Ability to perform and maintain cleanliness of facilities non-hazardous cleanroom in accordance with the facilities cleaning standing operating procedures (SOPs).
4. Ability to perform extemporaneous compounding of approved pharmaceuticals according to the facilities SOPs.
Automation
1. Understands and navigates basic automation package functions.
2. Performs basic cleaning and maintenance of automation equipment.
3. Ability to troubleshoot automation system problems.
4. Fill canisters/cells with medications and input appropriate information necessary to allow an audit trail of the medications placed into the automation.
5. Appropriately returns medications into the automation inventory, and removes expired/outdated medications from the automation.
Controlled Substances
1. Possess a thorough knowledge of principles relating to controlled substances, and the requirements of medical center policy and federal and state regulations that apply to these medications.
2. Assure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, directives, policies and procedures applying to the dispensing, storage, transfer, inventory and accountability of controlled substances.
3. Ability to prepare and fill outpatient pharmacy orders for controlled substances.
Dispensing
1. Accurately identify patients and dispense medications appropriately.
2. Ability to properly package prescription medications for dispensation
3. Appropriately prepares medications and supplies for window pick up or mailed. Takes special care to properly cushion, protect and insulate all medication to insure against breakage, deterioration, and
4. Appropriately applies postage checking for proper name and address.
5. Ability to locate filled prescriptions within the pharmacy and with-in the mail stream.
6. Provide patient education on pharmacy topics such as requesting refill process, drug information sheets, and relaying judgmental questions to the pharmacist.
Procurement
1. Knowledge and understanding of specialized handling precautions for medications.
2. Ensure adequate off-line inventory levels of medication are maintained.
3. Assure all medications and supplies are stored appropriately with proper attention to rotation of stock and complying with all laws and station policies.
4. Remove expired medications from stock and follows facility policy and procedures for disposal
5. Performs ward inspections as assigned: removes/replaces outdated items and excessive quantities of medications and documents findings using appropriate forms in accordance with established policy and procedures.
Administrative
1. Maintain immediate work area in a neat, clean and orderly fashion.
2. Participate in self-development activities necessary to maintain licensure and increase professional competence.
3. Complete all mandatory training as required by local, VISN, and national mandates within established timeframes.
4. Receives phone calls in a tactful and helpful manner to employees, volunteers, and patients. With an ability to answer specific questions
Other Duties
1. Perform other duties of a pharmacy technician as assigned to maintain the consistency of overall pharmacy services when required.
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:
- Resume
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
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 (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1)
- PCS Orders
- Performance Appraisal
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- 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 09/04/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12791123.
- 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.
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.