Pharmacy Technician-Inpatient

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Inpatient Pharmacy Technician position at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs supports the pharmacy department across inpatient, outpatient, IV room, and other areas. Technicians mentor lower-graded staff and use independent judgment to perform duties.

Qualifications emphasize certification, English proficiency, and potential grandfathering provisions for current VA employees. Candidates may be referred if educational/licensure requirements are not fully met yet; must complete them to

Qualifications

• No formal education is required for this GS-07 level.
• Active national certification (PTCB or ExCPT) is required for higher grade levels.
• English language proficiency is required for appointment.
• One year of experience may be required for the GS-07/06 transition.

Responsibilities

• Fill orders and dispense medications with accuracy.
• Deliver medications to floors and patient care areas.
• Prepare sterile products when applicable and assist with basic inventory management.
• Train and mentor lower graded pharmacy technicians.

Skills

Pharmacy knowledge

ADE troubleshooting

Team communication

Education

None required

Tools

Automated dispensing equipment

Job description

The Inpatient Pharmacy Technician provides various technical support services within the pharmacy department and may function in various areas of the pharmacy. These areas may include but are not limited to; inpatient pharmacy, outpatient pharmacy, IV room, various storage areas, offices and patient care areas. These pharmacy technicians mentor and train lower graded pharmacy technicians. Employees at this grade level use independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy. 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.
• 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).
• 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. Please submit transcripts to verify education.
• 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).

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.

Grade Determinations

Pharmacy Technician, GS-07.

(1) Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (See GS-06 Assignment 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: (a) PTCB as a CPhT. OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT.

(3) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). 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.

GS-6 Assignment. 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.

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-7.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.