Summary

This position is located within the Central Virginia Health Care System. This position provides support to all pharmacy operations in a variety of settings requiring performance of duties with an understanding of the workflow - the pharmacy routine - and the responsibilities of the pharmacy program. This includes patient care activities in the main outpatient dispensing pharmacy - phone center - outpatient clinic - administration area - or other area as assigned by the supervisor

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
• (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
• 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 Health career 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)
• Grade Determinations: GS7: Experience
• Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower 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: (a) PTCB as a CPhT OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles - practices - concepts and theories providing for sound independent work (b) Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent (c) Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team - Veterans and external customers (d) Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students (e) Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations - policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution (f) Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases Assignments
• For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope - complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• Pharmacy technicians at this level are nationally certified and can work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties
• These pharmacy technicians mentor and train lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting
• They assist advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participate in performance improvement initiatives
• At this level - pharmacy technicians use independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy
• They also function as staff pharmacy technicians in various locations of the pharmacy - including pharmacy contact centers and other non-traditional pharmacy locations - with minimal oversight
• Preferred Experience: Outpatient pharmacy scriptpro experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is 6
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 7
• Physical Requirements: The work requires repetitive motion - standing - walking - reaching - stooping - lifting heavy objects up to 50 pounds - pushing heavy or bulky carts and at times may be physically demanding - sometimes for extended periods of time.

Duties

• Prepares medications and ensures the orderable item matches the item being dispensed regarding drug - strength - quantity - or appropriate supply item
• Subject to a final check by a pharmacist
• 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 subject to final check by a pharmacist
• Maintains quality control records for extemporaneously compounded products
• Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines - including the storage of high-risk - look a-like sound a-like - hazardous - controlled substances - corrosive chemical - flammable liquids - and refrigerated items Receives - checks - rotates - and places in stock all items received from pharmacy procurement section and identifies and reconciles any discrepancies to assure correct items have been received
• Dispenses medications following all regulations - policies - and procedures for safe medication distribution
• Maintains national certification with PTCB or ExCPT Answers routine inquiries from providers and nurses regarding drug distribution - availability of specific drugs or supplies in the pharmacy - i.e. - drugs in stock - drugs on order - dosage forms - etc
• Identifies basic therapeutic problems and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention Work Schedule: Monday-Friday w/rotating shifts Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional