Pharmacy Technician

The Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare System is recruiting for one Pharmacy Technician Coordinator positions. These positions oversee specialized pharmacy programs, ensuring compliance with complex regulatory requirements, quality standards, and patient safety practices. Coordinators exercise independent technical judgment, manage program operations, and support compliance, performance improvement, and effective pharmacy services.

Tulsa (James Mountain Inhofe VAMC) - Tulsa (James Mountain Inhofe VAMC) facility
VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws
Total Rewards - Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

• Serves as a key resource advising others in their specialty area or section of the pharmacy, such as procurement, sterile compounding (USP compounding standards), controlled substances (DEA), automation, clinical pharmacy, lead technician functions, contact center operations, or Care in the Community (CITC).
• Analyzes data for independent performance improvement projects, workload analysis, and statistical reports.
• Solves problems and implements corrective actions to maximize outcomes in the program area.
• Maintains special accreditations and prepares for national reviews and inspections, including those conducted by The Joint Commission, the Office of Inspector General, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists®, and controlled substance inspection authorities.
• Develops training programs and materials for orientation, competency development, and regulatory education within the specialized pharmacy program area.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Work schedule may vary based on operational needs and may be negotiable.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Situational (Ad-hoc) as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 623-59147-A

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.

Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).

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 Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

Grandfathering Provision. 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).

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.

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).

GRADE DETERMINATIONS
In addition to the basic requirements for appointment in paragraph 5, VA HR staff must use the following criteria to determine the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

Pharmacy Technician, GS-9

(1) Experience. One year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the lower grade level (GS-8).

(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 the following KSAs and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated:

(a) Expert knowledge serving as a key resource advising others in their particular specialty area or section of the pharmacy (such as procurement, sterile compounding (USP compounding standards), controlled substances DEA, automation, clinical pharmacy, lead tech, contact center, etc.).

(b) Skill in analyzing data for self-driven (independent) performance improvement projects, workload analysis and statistical reports.

(c) Skill in solving problems and implementing corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program area.

(d) Ability to maintain special accreditations and prepare for national reviews/inspections (e.g., The Joint Commission, Inspector General, American Society of Health System Pharmacists®, controlled substance inspections).

(e) Ability to develop training programs and material for orientation, competency development and educational needs for regulatory requirements within the specialized pharmacy program area.

(4) 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 grade level may be appointed to one of the following assignments.

Preferred Experience: Three to five years of pharmacy technician experience in a hospital setting.

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

These vacancies are above the full performance level.

Physical Requirements: Moderate or extended periods of sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, stretching, reaching, lifting, pushing, and pulling. The position occasionally requires lifting moderately heavy items weighing up to 30 pounds. The employee must possess average agility and dexterity.

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.
• 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.