Pharmacy Technician (Outpatient-Controlled Substances)

Veterans Health Administration; Hines (OR); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Hines, Oregon is seeking a highly specialized Controlled Substance Pharmacy Technician to manage controlled substances in outpatient dispensing.

You will perform complex, regulated duties with accuracy, supporting total patient care and ensuring compliance with DEA regs. Qualifications include US citizenship, English proficiency, and national certification (PTCB or ExCPT).

Qualifications

• US citizenship and English proficiency required.
• National certification through PTCB (CPhT) or ExCPT with certification submitted.
• May qualify under Grandfathering Provision for current VA staff where applicable.

Responsibilities

• Dispense medications and sterile products following all policies and DEA regulations.
• Mentor and train lower graded technicians and staff in the specialized area.
• Manage automation and resolve medication issues with the healthcare team.

Skills

Independent judgment

English language proficiency

Education

No formal education required

Tools

DEA regulations compliance

Job description

The Controlled Substance Pharmacy Technician is a highly specialized technician, who will perform a variety of complex and highly regulated functions in the management of controlled substances in the outpatient pharmacy. The incumbent is expected to maintain a high degree of accurate productivity and performance while being extremely sensitive to the specific contribution to total patient care. 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.
• Certification: The employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:
• (a) Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)

OR,

• (b)National Health career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

A COPY OF YOUR CERTIFICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION.

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).

GS-8 Pharmacy Technician Grade Determinations:

Experience. Must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service; working autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties; mentoring and training lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting; assisting advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participating in performance improvement initiatives; using independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy; functioning as staff pharmacy technicians in various locations of the pharmacy.

One year experience at the next lower level, and must fully meet the KSAs at the next lower level.

• 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

In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs.

• Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology and policies in a specialized area or section of pharmacy (such as sterile compounding, controlled substances, automation, clinical pharmacy, contact center, etc.)
• Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures.
• Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy.

Preferred Experience:

(Controlled Substance)-Experience as a outpatient pharmacy technician, working as a lead technician and/or lead controlled substance technician.

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-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-8.

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 have a higher level of responsibility for specialized areas of pharmacy and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty. Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding, oncology, controlled substances, medication history review, clinical specialist (anticoagulation, pain, infectious diseases), clinical informatics, automation, immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession. The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area. The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products, filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations, taking medication histories and counseling patients, managing automation, managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area.

Physical Requirements:

The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing for prolonged periods of time, lifting/carrying of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lb., and bending/stooping. Work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes incumbent to communicable diseases, biohazards, hazardous chemicals, and hazardous medications common in a health care environment. Such exposure will be mitigated in accordance with local policies and operating procedures as per USP 800 standards, OSHA guidance and local risk assessment practices. Standard safety precautions and PPE are required and specified per local policies. Some work is performed in a setting away from the pharmacy where the environment cannot be controlled.