Pharmacy Technician

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Fresno (CA); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

The VA Central California Health Care System in Fresno, CA is seeking a Pharmacy Technician (GS-7) to support Pharmacy Service in a hospital setting. You will dispense medications, verify orders, assist pharmacists, and help maintain inventory and sterile products when applicable.

The job emphasizes compliance with policies, data entry in VA systems, and teamwork with the clinical staff to ensure timely patient care. Entry requirements include U.S.

Qualifications

• One year experience at the next lower level and must meet KSAs.
• Knowledge of pharmacy policies and procedures sufficient to train and orient new staff.
• Comprehensive knowledge of procurement and formulary process.
• Comprehensive knowledge of investigational drug policies and procedures.
• Comprehensive knowledge of controlled substances policies and procedures and ability to identify discrepancies.
• Knowledge of VA information systems and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• Fill orders and dispense medications using automated systems.
• Deliver medications to floors/patients and assist with basic inventory management.
• Prepare sterile products when applicable and support pharmacist review.

Skills

Workflow analysis

Data analysis

Policy knowledge

Equipment knowledge

Procurement knowledge

Data in VA systems

Tools

ADE systems

Job description

The VA Central California Health Care System (VACCHCS) is currently recruiting for a full time Pharmacy Technician with Pharmacy Service, located in Fresno, CA. 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).
• 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. e. 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.
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service
• English Language Proficiency. Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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

GS-7

Reference

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

Experience

One year experience at the next lower level and must fully meet the KSAs at the next lower level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs and the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*):

1. Ability to evaluate, analyze workflow, and coordinate work activities.
2. Ability to independently gather, evaluate, and analyze data to generate reports and/or for other projects/statistical purposes.
3. Knowledge of pharmacy policies and procedures sufficient to train and orient new employees and other staff.
4. Comprehensive knowledge of the operation and care of specialized pharmaceutical equipment.
5. Comprehensive knowledge of the procurement and formulary process.
6. Comprehensive knowledge of investigational drug policies and procedures.
7. Comprehensive knowledge of controlled substance policies and procedures, and the ability to identify and investigate discrepancies in these policies and procedures.
8. Comprehensive knowledge of, and ability to, analyze data in VA information systems.

Assignments

Pharmacy technicians at the full performance level may fill orders, dispense/deliver medications using automated systems or provide technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs. Duties will include delivery of medications to floors/patients, filling medications for the pharmacist to review, checking for expired medications, answering phones with appropriate disposition, preparing sterile products (when applicable) and assisting with basic inventory management such as putting up stock and identifying when medications need to be ordered.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

In addition to the experience, 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.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7