Pharmacy Technician

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.

01Basic Requirements

A. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). B. Education or Experience. (1) None required. (2) 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. C. 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). 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). D. Grandfathering Provision.

Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard 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.

02Grade Determinations

GS-07 In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-07 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next grade level GS-06.

03Experience

Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-06. Experience includes filling orders, dispensing/delivering medications using automated systems, delivery of medications, filling medications for the pharmacist to review, checking for expired medications, answering phones with appropriate disposition, preparing sterile products and assisting with basic inventory management such as putting up stock and identifying when medications need to be stored.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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 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.

04Preferred Experience

Preferred experience in VA performing patient care activities in the main outpatient dispensing pharmacy, phone center, outpatient clinics, administration area, or other areas of hospital. 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.

05Physical Requirements

The employee usually stands and moves from one part of the room to another while performing duties. There is frequent requirement for lifting supply tote bins, baskets or instruments sets weighing up to 50 pounds from the floor to chest level. The incumbent regularly pushes loaded instrument carts weighing as much as several hundred pounds. Tension and stress are induced by the critical nature of producing work results on a pre- established time frame as well as in emergent situations.

Major duties include but not limited to: Review electronic health record (EHR) to determine patient's eligibility to have non-VA prescriptions filled at the VA Pharmacy under a variety of situations including but not limited to eligible Community Care prescriptions, eligible "urgent care" benefit prescriptions, emergency room prescriptions, and outside hospital discharge prescriptions Understand the Community Care consulting process workflow Review identified prescriptions for formulary alternatives, Criteria-for-Use (CFU) needs, formulary/non-formulary statuses. and other questions that arise Process hardcopy prescriptions, faxed prescriptions, and electronic prescriptions (via Vista's eRx Queue and OERR Queue) as necessary while determining appropriate patient, provider, medication, etc.

After processing, alerting a pharmacist for final verification of the entry Works closely with other facility Pharmacy and Community Care staff Acts as a resource person for planning, reviewing, or revising pharmacy policies and/or procedures Participates in quality assurance, process improvement activities, and performance monitors Maintain competence by participating in staff development programs Assists in other patient care areas as deemed necessary to maintain the consistency of overall pharmacy services.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 0730 am -4:00 pm. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized