Pharmacy Technician (CITC)

The Pharmacy Technician will provide a broad range of professional and clinical pharmacy support to El Paso VA Health Care System (VAHCS).

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Receives faxed, mailed, electronically prescribed, or delivered prescriptions written by Care in the Community providers (including state veterans nursing home) and documents all received prescriptions in Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and/or Care in the Community workflow file.
• Communicates with patients concerning prescriptions received from unauthorized providers visits and handles prescriptions appropriately, whether forwarding to primary care provider or returning to patient.
• Reviews authorized prescriptions for appropriateness using pharmacy technician knowledge, as well as knowledge concerning the national drug formulary and local VA formulary requirements.
• Maintains a current knowledge of national, state, and local laws, regulations, directives, policies, and procedures pertaining to controlled substances.
• Initiates the non-formulary/prior authorization process with the Care in the Community provider and records needed documentation in CPRS and Care in the Community workflow file.
• Enters non-formulary or prior authorization consult requests in CPRS for review and completion by the Care in the Community clinical pharmacist, after all needed documentation has been received.
• Inputs authorized prescriptions of prepares electronically prescribed medications in VistA for the review and verification by the clinical pharmacist.
• Assists in the tracking and shipping of Care in the Community prescribed controlled substances, as well as all Care in the Community prescribed medications mailed from the El Paso VAHCS Pharmacy or Consolidated Mail-Out Pharmacy (CMOP).
• Dispense medications to patients and/or other healthcare professionals post final verification by a pharmacist as required by policy.
• Assembles prescriptions properly with the correct drug, strength, quantity, auxiliary labels, and prescription labels for window dispensing and mail delivery post pharmacist verification.
• Supports automation by manually completing prescriptions not processed through the automation dispensing machine.
• Assists in training and orientation of new staff technicians, interns, and students. Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 0800 - 1645
Telework: Available for Ad-Hoc Telework
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 56967F
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.
• 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.
• Certification (GS-7 and above): 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).
  • National Health career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
• Physical Requirements. See physical requirements listed below.
• English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
• Grandfather 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). 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.
  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:

GS-08: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

1. 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.).
2. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures.
3. Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy.

Preferred Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in managing, troubleshooting, and maintaining pharmacy automated dispensing cabinets, including server-level configuration, inventory management, and resolving data integrity issues. This includes collaborating with vendor support, OIT, Biomed, and pharmacy staff to ensure optimal performance and minimal downtime.
• Proven ability to train and orient pharmacy staff, controlled substance inspectors, and medical center personnel in the use of Omnicell automation equipment. Experience in writing, updating, and implementing facility policies and procedures related to automation, ensuring compliance with controlled substances regulations and supporting operational excellence.
• Experience in supporting pharmacy operations through clinic ward inspections, ADC drug stocking/destocking, removal of expired medications, and adherence to facility policies for medication storage and disposal. Ability to communicate medication errors, adverse events, and other issues to pharmacists and supervisors for timely resolution.
• Skilled in using office automation software (e.g., word processing, EHR, VistA) for administrative tasks, data collection, and report generation. Participation in quality assurance and performance improvement initiatives, including process action teams, to enhance pharmacy service and patient care.
• Exceptional customer and experience in establishing and maintaining positive working relationships with facility providers, nursing, pharmacy personnel, and other departments. Ability to resolve questions and problems affecting staff and patients, demonstrating strong oral and written communication skills, professionalism, and sensitivity to age, developmental, and cultural needs.

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-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-08 .

Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds Light, 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 hours), Repeated bending (1 hour), Both legs required, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Specific visual requirement (specify) DVA Correctable to 20/40, Both eyes required, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted).

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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.