Summary

This position is for pharmacy technician at the full performance level at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System - West Los Angeles location. Employees at the full performance level may fill orders - dispense/deliver medications using automated systems or provide technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs.

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:

• 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: 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
• 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)
• Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date of November 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-06 In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-06 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05)
• AND Applicant must meet the knowledge - skills - and abilities listed below: 1
• Knowledge of Federal and state laws related to pharmacy practice
• 2
• Knowledge of preparation - storage and distribution of medication products including those requiring special handling and documentation
• 3
• Ability to use pharmacy information systems or operate pharmacy dispensing equipment
• 4
• Knowledge of basic inventory procedures
• 5
• Ability to communicate with patients and staff and direct questions to appropriate personnel
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• (VA Handbook 5005/159 - Part II Appendix G28 - Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standards GS-0660 Veterans Health Administration effective 11/7/2023) The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06
• Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion - involving standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time - typing - walking distances within the medical center - lifting/ carrying (up to 40 pounds) of pharmaceutical supplies - and bending/stooping/stretching.

Duties

• Duties include but are not limited to: 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 alike - hazardous - controlled substances - corrosive chemical - flammable liquids - and frozen/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
• Stock rotation includes placing items expiring first in front to be used first
• Enters expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system upon receipt when appropriate
• Perform monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed
• Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements
• Reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile)
• This includes measuring the right amount of solution to be used for final pharmacist verification
• Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution
• Identifies basic therapeutic problems - such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention
• Answers the telephone professionally - taking incoming calls - providing information - transferring calls - returning calls - and providing appropriate disposition for the calls
• Assists in training and orientation of new staff technicians - interns - and students
• Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program consisting of students - externs - interns - residents - and professional and non-professional staff members
• Demonstrates the ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality
• Participate in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy
• Appropriately restocks controlled substances items in automated secured cabinets (i.e. - Omnicell) in pharmacy or throughout medical center - as assigned
• Assures that inventory counts are correct at the time of restocking
• Ensures that proper handoff occurs when receiving or delivering controlled substances - assuring that at all times 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 within the pharmacy and pharmacy managed areas
• Correctly inventories - assesses - and determines the need for floor or clinic stock and external medication
• Follows established policies and procedures - schedules - inventory levels - and usage rate reports to determine appropriate stock levels for specific areas of use
• Accurately fills prescription items for wards and other medication use areas using Automatic Replenishment reports or generated restock report from automation dispensing systems
• Performs and documents an inspection of assigned hospital areas for medication storage
• Removes all expired and deteriorated drugs from the automated dispensing stations - stocks shelves - and the unit dose automated dispensing systems
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday from 7:00am-7:00pm and Saturdays from 8:00am-4:30pm - tours may be adjusted to meet medical center and patient care needs
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000