Pharmacy Technician

Description:

This position serves as the Pharmacy Technician in the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP) or with the Meds by Mail Program.

This position serves as the Pharmacy Technician in the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP). Appointee participates in the technical product dispensing and pharmacy operational support functions under general supervision.

Requirements:

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 :

1. Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States
2. English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
3. 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.
4. Certification (GS-07 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:
   1. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
   2. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

Grandfather Provision. 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 : In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-06 Pharmacy Technician (Full Performance Level) - Experience/Education Requirement:

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).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

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.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience with receipt of medication and supplies into stock and verification against shipping documents to include drug supply chain security act (DCSA) regulations and order requisition.
• Experience conducting checks for product shortages, tampering, damages, deterioration, and date of expiration.
• Experience selecting and transporting pharmaceuticals to proper storage and dispensing areas.
• Reviews and/or records any required monitoring parameters which may include refrigerator temperatures, and damaged or expired items.

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-05. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06.

Physical Requirements: Work is performed in a highly mechanized warehouse setting around production machinery. Moderate noise and traffic require attention to safety. Some work areas involve a moderate risk requiring exercise of safety precautions when operating or working around the automated equipment (i.e., accumulators, moving belts, etc.). Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is mandatory when handling specific medications and in certain areas of production or assignment. The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion and activity, involving standing for prolonged periods of time on hard surfaces, lifting/carrying/pushing/pulling of pharmaceutical supplies weighing up to 50 lbs. unassisted and bending/twisting/stooping/reaching.