Duties
This position functions primarily in the inpatient care areas and the Pharmacy Service within the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center (JMCAVAMC). The incumbent practices as a Pharmacy Technician in the Inpatient Pharmacy of JMCAVAMC. This area serves adult and elderly Veterans needing care within the JMCAVAMC system 24 hours a day 7 days a week, nights, weekends, and holidays. Providing support for the hospital staff by reading and interpreting orders, obtaining the proper medication or material in the proper dose and strength. Working alongside the Pharmacist to ensure the correct medication is compounded, packaged, and delivered to the correct patient, provider, or automated dispensing system. Uses independent judgement performing the duties assigned. Must maintain a PTCB certificate or an Except certificate. Follows all guidelines of USP 797, 795, 800, VA Handbook 5005, DEA regulations and all National Pharmacy and Facility Policies.
FUNCTIONS:
Pharmacy Technicians assigned to this position must demonstrate the following KSAs:
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 medications orders or electronic equivalent.
Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other member 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.
MEDICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM:
1. Reads and interprets orders, obtains proper medication or material in the proper strength and dosage form, determines proper amount, and counts, pours, or measures the medications; affixes proper label; and records requires data on Pharmacy's copy of inpatient order. After a final check by a pharmacist, dispenses medication in hospital settings.
2. For unit-dose medications, prepares medications to be dispensed to inpatient areas (med-carts, ward stock), and/or fills unit-dose carts and has work reviewed by a pharmacist.
3. Inventories and prepares emergency carts with appropriate medications and supplies.
4. Collects drug use evaluation data for quality improvement purposes as required.
5. Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment such as unit dose prepackaging machines, automatic dispensing machines, IV compounding machines and other pharmacy devices. Able to troubleshoot the equipment and the technology platforms/databases.
6. Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile). This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used.
7. After prescription/order(s) are reviewed by a pharmacist for therapeutic propriety, reviews orders for technical accuracy and converts the order, if necessary, so that the item dispensed corresponds to the drug and dose ordered.
8. 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.
9. Maintains, verifies, stocks, and replaces outdates in patient care areas and the areas' automated dispensing machines.
10. Ensures all look alike, sound alike, high alert, refrigerated medications are stored properly according to manufactures recommendations and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requirement.
11. Monitors inventory needs in-patient care areas, relays this information to the appropriate Pharmacy personal. This also includes placing stock in proper storage areas, rotating stock on shelves and removing/replacing outdated items.
12. Assists with inventory management and ordering of medicines and supplies.
13. Performs all the duties of lower graded technicians, if required.
GENERAL DUTIES:
As deemed necessary by the pharmacy supervisor, assists in other patient care areas (including outpatient pharmacy services) to maintain the consistency of overall pharmacy services. However, primary assignments of work schedule and tours would involve inpatient pharmacy services. Inpatient services may include such areas as aseptic admixture preparation including cytotoxic agents, automatic and on-demand ward stock replenishment, maintenance and operation of automated prepackaging storage and dispensing equipment, assembly and documentation of controlled substance requests and properly packaging with documentation of single unit of use medications. Ensures all inventory automation equipment in the pharmacy service is properly refilled and utilized to maintain inventory controls. Participates in ensuring the Operating Room is properly stocked for injectable, non-injectable and controlled substance medications.
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.
- Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
Qualifications
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 technicians appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English
- Certification. Certification by the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is required at grades GS-6 and above.
Grade Determination (GS-7):Experience. One year experience at the next lower level (GS-6), and must fully meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) at the next lower level, which are:
- 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.
NOTE: Your description of your work experience in your resume/CV must adequately demonstrate all required knowledge, skills, and abilities in order for you to be found qualified and referred for consideration. References: VA Handbook 5005/15, Part II, Appendix G28 - Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standard.
Physical Requirements: The position requires frequent walking and standing; repeated bending; moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 pounds); the ability to read handwritten or typed characters with or without glasses; ability to hear conversation voice with or without aid; and emotional and mental stability.
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/.
Grandfathering Provision: Does not apply above the full performance level.
Certification. For this positions above the full performance level (GS-7), the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification
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.
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.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increase. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, 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)
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.
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 09/22/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12798198.
- 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.