Clarification from the agency

Open to internal Madison VA employees. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Primary duties of this highly complex position include oversite of orders for pharmaceutical and supply items through the Prime Vendor or other mandatory sources, assuring adherence to federal purchase contracts and compliance with federal regulations regarding open market purchases. Assures inventory control through perpetual evaluation and analysis, funds control, assuring compliance with storage requirements for pharmaceutical items and liaison with company representatives and managerial staff. Responsibilities mandate compliance with all Veterans Heath Administration, Drug Enforcement Agency, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and all federal rules and regulations regarding contract compliance, purchase card procedures, reconciliation requirements, fund control point policies and procedures, controlled substance purchasing, purchasing documentation maintenance, pharmaceutical reverse distribution and waste, and general inventory control processes.

A. Procurement

• Has operational responsibility for ongoing inventories of drug products, pharmaceutical supplies, and their various methods of procurement. Cost-effective turnover must be consistently identified and maintained. They are considered a subject matter expert of procurement sources (i.e., prime vendor, open market, government excess, posted stock etc.) VA manual and hospital procurement policies and procedures. Displaying a thorough understanding of policies, procedures, basic accounting and budgetary skills, the incumbent assures that pharmaceuticals and supplies are procured and maintained in the most cost-effective manner.
• Maintains accountability and oversight of daily purchases.
• Monitors the use of National contracts (NAT), Federal supply schedules (FSS), Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) and open market etc. to ensure compliance with federal acquisition regulations, policies, and laws.
• Ensures seamless operation of the Drug Accountability Program with pharmacy stake holders. Maintains records and resolves issues relating to drug accountability.

B. Budget

• Point of contact for pharmacy service serving as the subject matter expert managing the budget process and pharmacy's fund control point. Posting all obligations, credits, transfers, and closes out an obligation at the end of month/quarter and the fiscal year without deficit spending.
• Provides expertise and assists in annual budget projections for Pharmacy Service.
• Monitors pharmacy fund control point running balance routinely to ensure adequate funds.
• Reconciles the financial reports, the weekly pharmacy prime vendor line-item report (B09) to source documents, uploads and enters daily activity entry into the monthly obligation as assigned by fiscal.

C. Inventory Management

• Determines, establishes, and modifies, as necessary, appropriate ordering intervals, inventory levels, most efficient/effective ordering quantities, sources of supply, etc., based on current financial conditions in pharmacy, seasonal variations in drug usage, changing patterns of medical practice, delivery time requirements, urgency of medical need, alternative sources of availability, etc
• Maintains contact with vendors to get status of orders and expedite delivery.
• Conducts annual wall to wall inventory by taking a lead role in preparation, performance, reporting and analysis of periodic inventories of pharmaceutical and supply items as instructed by management with intent to maintain inventory turn performance that meets or exceeds VISN and National goals and expectations.
• Maintains current awareness of additions/deletions to the VA National Formulary and local facility patterns of drug utilization.

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

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: 0700 - 1530 M-F
Compressed/Flexible:Not Available
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
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 #: 06268F
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.
• 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).
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
• Education or Experience:
  • a. None required.
  • b. 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-07 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:
  • a. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). (MUST PROVIDE A COPY OF CERTIFICATION) OR
  • b. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). (MUST PROVIDE A COPY OF CERTIFICATION)

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).

Grandfather Provision. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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: Pharmacy Technician GS-10
In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-10 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09).

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

• a. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
• b. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs:

- Ability to analyze data for performance improvement projects, workload analysis and statistical reports.
- Ability to prepare for and maintain special accreditations, inspections and reviews (e.g., The Joint Commission, Office of Inspector General, American Society of Health System Pharmacists, controlled substances inspections).
- Ability to solve problems and implement corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program area.
- Expert knowledge of budgetary and pharmacy procurement operating procedures such as, but not limited to, budget reconciliation, annual wall to wall inventory, sterile compounding and service contracts.
- Skill in managing supply problems such as back orders, interchangeability of products during shortages or finding suitable replacement products.
- Skill in monitoring the quality of input and output of automated/perpetual medication inventory management systems.
- Ability to write policies and procedures for pharmaceutical procurement, inventory management and contracting processes.
Ability to develop contracting acquisition packages with all necessary required documents including, but not limited to, market research, independent Government cost estimate, statement of work/performance work statement, quotes, proof of funding, etc.

Preferred Experience: Prior experience purchasing pharmaceutical products, including drugs and supplies.

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-07.

Physical Requirements: Refence 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:

• PTCB or NHA Pharmacy Technician Certificate
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

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
• PTCB or NHA Pharmacy Technician Certificate
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Next steps