Pharmacy Technician

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Department of Veterans Affairs in Texas seeks an advanced Pharmacy Technician to support inpatient and outpatient operations. You will process prescriptions, prepare and dispense medications, and assist with sterile and non-sterile compounding, inventory, automation, and quality checks to ensure safe, timely distribution.

Citizenship, English proficiency, and appropriate certification are required; some positions may consider education/experience combinations.

Qualifications

• Citizen of the United States.
• Proficient in spoken and written English.
• Education/Experience: none required; combinations acceptable.
• Certification: active national certification (PTCB or ExCPT) required for higher grade levels.

Responsibilities

• Process prescriptions and dispense medications accurately.
• Prepare and compound sterile and non-sterile medications.
• Handle controlled substances and manage inventory.
• Support automation and perform quality checks.
• Adhere to safety policies and procedures.

Skills

Pharmacy knowledge

Prescription processing

ADE troubleshooting

Training others

Customer service

Tools

Automated dispensing systems

Job description

Serves as an advanced Pharmacy Technician supporting inpatient and outpatient pharmacy operations. Performs prescription processing, medication preparation and dispensing, sterile and non-sterile compounding, controlled substance handling, inventory management, automation support, quality checks, and customer service. Applies pharmacy policies, safety standards, and technical expertise to ensure accurate, timely medication distribution and effective pharmacy operations. 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

To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

1. Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States

1. English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

1. 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.
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).

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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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

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 lower grade level (GS-06).

1. 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).
2. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs:
   1. Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
   2. Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
   3. Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
   4. Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
   5. Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
   6. Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.

Preferred Experience:

1. 1 year of experience with pharmacy automation, including troubleshooting, changing paper and ribbon, and cleaning automation.

1. 1 year of knowledge of controlled substances, including delivery to Omnicell units.

1. 1 year of knowledge and experience filling patient cassettes, ordering medications, and stocking medications on floors.

1. 1 year of experience compounding IV solutions, piggybacks, and similar preparations.

1. Knowledge of brand and generic medication names.

1. Knowledge of pulling medications for orders.

1. Knowledge of the VistA computer system.

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-07.

Physical Requirements:

Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Straight pulling, 3 hours; Pushing, 3 hours; Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking, 8 hours; Standing, 8 hours; Kneeling, 1 hour; Repeated bending, 1 hour; Both legs required; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Specific visual requirement: DVA correctable to 20/40; Both eyes required; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing, aid may be permitted.