Supervisory Pharmacy Technician

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to Current & Permanent)Employees of the El Paso VA Health Care System NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. Note: 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans preference to external applicants for appointments made from this announcement.

Major Duties:

• The incumbent supervises duties that consist of significant scope and complexity, including coordinating day-to-day technical operations, workflow coordination, problem resolution, training and orienting technicians and students, and participating in quality improvement activities specific to community care services.
• The incumbent functions as a subject matter expert for CITC prescription processing and collaborates with all other pharmacy supervisors to optimize processes, ensure regulatory compliance, and meet program performance goals.
• The incumbent is required to have advanced technical knowledge of VA and non-VA prescription requirements, VA and local formulary processes, prior authorization and non-formulary workflows, controlled substance regulations, and pharmacy information systems including EHRM, VistA/CPRS, and associated applications.
• The incumbent resolves routine and complex problems within the program area, and ensures compliance with all applicable federal, VA, and facility policies, regulations, and accreditation standards.
• The incumbent supports all supervisory activities in all sections of pharmacy including pharmacy dispensing operation, procurement, controlled substances, and clinical.
• The Supervisory Technician will be competent in all outpatient technician duties including, the medication procurement process, operation of automation, compounding, all aspects of medication order preparation.
• The incumbent will ensure compliance with VA and Joint Commission requirements for appropriate monitoring, dispensing and distribution of all medications.

Duties are continued in the Education Section of this announcement:

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:45pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
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: This is an onsite position. Telework may be offered when deemed necessary by the department AD-HOC (Employees who telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term basis, and have completed required telework training and telework agreement.) (Portion of day acceptable).
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 56410-F
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 identification 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

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 in accordance wit 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).
  2. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

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).

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:

Supervisory Pharmacy Technician, GS-0661-09

1. Experience: One year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the lower grade level (GS-08). To be equivalent to the GS-08 level, experience must have also been earned while having an active CPhT or ExCPT as described below.
2. 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).
   2. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
3. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, for the GS-09 level, do you possess the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
   1. Expert knowledge serving as a key resource advising others in their particular specialty area or section of the pharmacy (such as procurement, sterile compounding (USP compounding standards), controlled substances DEA, automation, clinical pharmacy, lead tech, contact center, etc.).
   2. Skill in analyzing data for self-driven (independent) performance improvement projects, workload analysis and statistical reports.
   3. Skill in solving problems and implementing corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program area.
   4. Ability to maintain special accreditations and prepare for national reviews/inspections (e.g., The Joint Commission, Inspector General, American Society of Health System Pharmacists, controlled substance inspections).
   5. Ability to develop training programs and material for orientation, competency development and educational needs for regulatory requirements within the specialized pharmacy program area.
   6. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders and managers.
   7. Ability to utilize staffing methodology principles to determine adequate staffing to coordinate and manage workflow and work activities within pharmacy.

Preferred Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in managing, troubleshooting, and maintaining pharmacy automated dispensing cabinets, including server-level configuration, inventory management, and resolving data integrity issues. This includes collaborating with vendor support, OIT, Biomed, and pharmacy staff to ensure optimal performance and minimal downtime.
• Proven ability to train and orient pharmacy staff, controlled substance inspectors, and medical center personnel in the use of Omnicell automation equipment. Experience in writing, updating, and implementing facility policies and procedures related to automation, ensuring compliance with controlled substances regulations and supporting operational excellence.
• Experience in supporting pharmacy operations through clinic ward inspections, ADC drug stocking/destocking, removal of expired medications, and adherence to facility policies for medication storage and disposal. Ability to communicate medication errors, adverse events, and other issues to pharmacists and supervisors for timely resolution.
• Skilled in using office automation software (e.g., word processing, EHR, VistA) for administrative tasks, data collection, and report generation. Participation in quality assurance and performance improvement initiatives, including process action teams, to enhance pharmacy service and patient care.
• Exceptional customer and experience in establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with facility providers, nursing, pharmacy personnel, and other departments. Ability to resolve questions and problems affecting staff and patients, demonstrating strong oral and written communication skills, professionalism, and sensitivity to age, developmental, and cultural needs.

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

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-09.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination

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:

• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• 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
• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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