Summary

The incumbent will assist the pharmacist in providing optimal care and timely service in accordance with the mission - vision - and goals of the Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System and Pharmacy. The duties of this position are performed in the sterile product preparation suite and accompanying storage areas of the inpatient pharmacy section at the Ann Arbor Department of Pharmacy service.

Qualifications

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:

• 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
• 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
• 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)
• 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: 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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)
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: GS-08 Experience
• Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07) and demonstrate the KSAs below
• 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 the following KSAs for ALL GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment - if indicated: 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.) Note: See Specialized Area.in the Definitions Section
• 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
• 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
• Physical Requirements: The work environment is an inpatient pharmacy - an outpatient pharmacy and/or a patient care area environment (including the Surgical Suite - Primary Care - or Emergency Department)
• There may be extremes of temperature - distractions - noise from equipment or patient care activities
• Handles frozen and refrigerated products often
• May be required to use heating equipment
• Exposure to negative and positive air pressure rooms is also possible
• Must be able to don/doff protective garments and use equipment as necessary for assignment
• May work with cleaning and disinfecting products occasionally
• Must have the use of fingers
• both hands required
• Twisting and grasping of bottles and vials or syringes occurs frequently
• Some lifting (50 lbs.) - stretching and forward and overhead reaching is involved
• Walking and standing 8-12 hours
• repeated bending 8 hours
• both legs required
• May have to kneel to retrieve product(s) from lower cabinets or the floor
• Must be able to rapidly coordinate mental and muscular duties simultaneously
• Computer keyboard activity and computer monitor use is frequently performed
• May be required to operate robotic packaging machinery and automated dispensing devices
• Fine motor skills (for packaging and counting) and excellent visual acuity (for expiration date - tablet identification - and prescription interpretation) are required
• Near vision correctable @ 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4
• far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other - depth perception
• ability to distinguish shades of colors
• Hearing acuity is required for phone communication - patient counseling and professional communication (hearing aid use is permitted)
• May be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials
• May occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium - dementia - or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature - flexible sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations and able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• Works closely with others
• May have protracted or irregular hours of work
• Shift rotation is commonly required.

Duties

• VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Third Party Collections and Clinical Support: Resolves ePharmacy rejects and processes them to be dispensed
• Sends rejects to Clinical Pharmacist for resolution when appropriate
• Interacts with patients - providers - and other VA staff and third-party payers as needed to resolve rejects
• Ensures rejects are resolved so that patients receive appropriate medications in a timely manner Helps start prior authorization request for outside prescription plans
• Coordinates paperwork and other items needed to complete the prior authorization requests Aids in training Pharmacy personnel on third party claims processes Attends scheduled National ePharmacy meetings and contributes to process improvements and developing SOPs
• Thoroughly understand all laws and regulations needed to process third party claims
• Updates Pharmacy Chief and direct supervisor on progress and significant changes that affect reimbursement
• General: Accurately interpret - fills - and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification
• Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly condition by assuring that all stock and equipment are in assigned places and all shelves and counters are free of dust and debris in order to create optimal work areas
• Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines - including the storage of high-risk - look a-like sound a-like - hazardous - controlled substances - corrosive chemical - flammable liquids - and refrigerated items
• Receives - checks - rotates - and places in stock all items received from pharmacy procurement section and identifies and reconciles any discrepancies to assure correct items have been received
• Performs monthly inspections of assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to be expired drugs are removed
• Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements
• Assists higher level technicians as needed
• Completes all National - VISN - local - and Pharmacy mandatory trainings in a timely manner
• Maintains national certification with PTCB or ExCPT
• Automation Duties and Support: Provides specialized technical support to pharmacy staff and other personnel regarding the use of automated medication distribution and technology systems
• Sets up - adjusts - and maintains the operation of automated medication dispensing devices that support the treatment of patients
• Each of these devices has multiple settings and features that require precise calibration and monitoring - on a continuous basis - to enable them to operate reliably
• Adjusts and maintains accessories and supplies for automated medication dispensing devices
• This includes making decisions to alter the mix of robotic cassettes and dispensing cells based on current prescription patterns and performing the necessary settings adjustments to these devices based on the individual characteristics of dispensed medication
• Maintains control records - collecting data on any deviation in equipment accuracy - operation - or suitability
• Recognizes and notifies the pharmacy leadership team of such deviations
• This includes collecting technical data necessary for the purchase of new equipment - collecting and reporting quality improvement data in a format useful for pharmacy management and providing suggestions or other information that may be useful for improving the efficiency of the pharmacy's automated dispensing systems
• Performs or schedules basic and routine maintenance to automated dispensing devices at times least disruptive to patient care
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:30am-5:00pm - rotating Saturdays 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO):