Pharmacy Technician

The Pharmacy Technician works autonomously, utilizing independent technical judgment and comprehensive working knowledge of complex pharmacy principles and practices. The pharmacy technician has operational responsibility in the pharmacy performing highly complex procedures such as compounding sterile/non-sterile products, inventory inspections, drug packaging, dispensing, distribution, preparing orders or prescriptions, controlled substance management, and maintenance and care equipment.

Major duties include, but are not limited to the following:

• Pharmacy Dispensing/Distribution Services: The Pharmacy Technician will be involved in assuring appropriate, safe, and accurate medications are dispensed to veterans in an efficient manner.
  • Maintains workflow patterns that assure timely delivery of pharmacy services and ensures accurate documentation and dispensing of pharmaceuticals.
  • Effectively organizes workload, solves problems, and achieves established goals.
  • Provides patient care utilizing an in-depth knowledge of specialized areas of pharmacy practice. Maintains and understands the operation of pharmacy equipment and automation, such as ScriptPro, TCG-Rx, BD Cato, and Pyxis.
  • Assists staff and patients, either by phone or in person, concerning drug distribution, refill requests, mail, and general triaging of requests for the pharmacists. Documents patient requests as necessary in CPRS and alerts the appropriate provider.
  • Assists in assuring that pharmacy programs are compliant with all regulatory and accrediting body requirements (i.e., Joint Commission, FDA, ASHP, DEA, OIG, etc.).
  • Actively participates in the procurement process supporting just in time inventory management. This may include serving as a back-up procurement technician where responsibilities may include ordering or receiving product. This may also include processing of invoices using the VistA Drug Accountability system.
  • Inspects all areas of the facility outside of the pharmacy where medications are dispensed, administered, or stored, including medication carts, automated medication dispensing cabinets, (Pyxis Medstations™), physical cabinets and drawers, supply carts, refrigerators, crash carts, and emergency kits.
  • Distributive
    • Interprets pharmacy orders; obtains medication in the correct strength and dosage form; determines proper amount and prepares product; affixes proper label; and documents proper information.
    • Prepares non-sterile compounds independently for dispensing to patients or other health care providers for use in clinical areas.
    • Compounds sterile products to be delivered in the form of large volume, small volume, and other complex pharmaceuticals such as chemotherapy. Completes documentation and uses knowledge of safe handling and disposition of hazardous materials used in pharmacy.
    • Dispenses controlled substances according to current policies and procedures and standards established by DEA, FDA, VA, and Joint Commission.
    • Effectively utilizes the Veterans Integrated Systems Technology Architecture (VistA), Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), and Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) computer systems and other automated pharmacy equipment and computer software systems.
  • Controlled substances:
    • Accurately interpret, fills, and readies prescriptions with appropriate medications for pharmacist verification
    • Appropriately restocks controlled substances items in automated secured cabinets (i.e., Pyxis) in pharmacy or throughout medical center, as assigned.
    • Documents all controlled substance-related transactions as indicated by VA and DEA guidelines.
    • Assures that inventory counts are correct at the time of restocking.
    • Ensures that proper handoff occurs when receiving or delivering controlled substances, always assuring that these medications are never left unsecured.
    • Reports unresolvable discrepancies to immediate area supervisor for resolution. Assist in investigating, witnessing, and resolving discrepancies.
    • Complies with all laws, regulations, directives, policies, and procedures applying to the dispensing, storage, transfer, inventory, and accountability of controlled substances.
    • Assists inspectors with the inventory and accountability inspections.
• Patient Care Services: The Pharmacy Technician will promote a patient-focused, team based multidisciplinary model of patient care.
  • Supporting formulary management principles and effective drug use criteria.
  • Identifying basic therapeutic problems such as patient allergies and duplicate drug therapy and alerting the pharmacists to the possible need for clinical intervention
  • Calling patients to obtain information and to relay prescription information.
  • Using databases and spreadsheets to assist pharmacists and other health care professionals to monitor and track patient information.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday rotating schedule 7:30am-4:00pm, 8:00am-4:30pm, and 8:30am-5:00pm.
Telework: Not Eligible
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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).
• Certification: For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:
  • Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). OR
  • National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
• Education or Experience:
  • None required.
  • 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.

Grade Determinations:

Pharmacy Technician, GS-07:

• Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6).
• Certification: For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:
  • PTCB as a CPhT. OR
  • NHA as a ExCPT
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following 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.

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-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.