Summary

The Cheyenne VA Health Care System is looking to fill the vacancy for a Pharmacy Technician. This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) - Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - Cheyenne VA Medical Center - Pharmacy Service and is responsible for quality control and safety.

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
• (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
• 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
• 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 Health career Association (NHA) - Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)
• 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-7 Experience
• Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower 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: 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: Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles - practices - concepts and theories providing for sound independent work
• Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent
• Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team - Veterans and external customers
• Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students
• Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations - policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution
• ( Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases
• Preferred Experience: Pharmacy Technician Experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• This position is listed as above full performance level at the GS-7. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Duties

• VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties: Responsible for computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent
• Resolves pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team - Veterans and external customers
• Preforms final review of medication (prepared by another technician) to be dispensed to clinic and/or ADC without secondary review
• Accurately interpret - fills - and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification including controlled substances
• 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
• Utilizes automation dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff following all safety and QA procedures
• 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)
• Preforms IV compounding using aseptic technique and maintains competencies
• Correctly interprets physician orders - selects - and measures appropriate ingredients - mixes ingredients in a safe and effective manner - inspects the final product for accuracy - labels the product - maintains records of the manufacturing process
• 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
• Performs duties of all lower grade technicians as needed
• Participate in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy
• Assists higher level technicians as needed
• Completes all National - VISN - local - and Pharmacy mandatory trainings in a timely manner
• Complies with all VHA - Medical Center - and Pharmacy regulations - directives - policies - and procedures
• May be assigned to work in other areas of pharmacy service as deemed necessary by the Chief - Pharmacy Service or Supervisor
• Inventories and replenishes emergency trays
• Operates and maintains automated dispensing unit dose systems
• Assures repackaged dosage forms are labeled according to USP and VA standards and attains a final review by a pharmacist
• Trouble-shoots minor mechanical problems of all automated systems as they occur and coordinates resolution of more involved mechanical or software problems with Supervisor - vendor help desk - ADPAC - etc
• as appropriate
• Automatic Replenishment/Ward Stock Correctly inventories - assesses - and determines the need for floor stock - external medications and controlled substances in ADC Accurately fills prescription items for wards using Automatic Replenishment reports
• Performs and documents an inspection of assigned hospital areas for medication storage
• Assembles prescriptions properly with the correct drug - strength - quantity - auxiliary labels - and prescription labels
• for window dispensing and mail delivery Supports automation by manually completing prescriptions not processed through the automation dispensing machine
• Follows internal procedures for dispensing medications to internal VA staff (HBPC - ICMR - inpatient staff - etc) Utilizes and comprehends the mail shipping programs used by the facility (i.e. - USPS - FedEx - UPS - etc.) for overnight delivery of non-controlled and controlled prescriptions
• Calls patients to arrange delivery of refrigerated prescriptions and verifies patients address
• Work Schedule: 8-hour rotating shifts to include evening - weekend - and holiday coverage
• Tour of Duty times negotiable for highly qualified candidates
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): 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
• Functional Statement #: 59043A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized