Pharmacy Technician Inpatient

Description:

This position functions primarily in the inpatient care areas and the Pharmacy Service within the VA Medical Center. The incumbent practices as a Pharmacy Technician in the Inpatient Pharmacy of Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center.

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 :

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education: None Required
• Experience: 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 combines 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.

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 certification 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 Determination
Pharmacy Technician (Inpatient) GS-8

• Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6) 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:
  • a. 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 assignement, 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:
IN accordance with VA Handbook 5005/15, Part II, Appendix G28. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ .

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-8.

Physical Requirements: Work is performed primarily in the inpatient pharmacy and outpatient care areas, where is a potential for exposure to communicable diseases. Such areas are adequately heated and ventilated, and safety precautions are required. In some cases, dealing with anti-neoplastic drugs may expose the incumbent to hazardous and toxic agents. The incumbent works with drugs/chemicals and must exercise precautions to avoid accidental contact to the skin, eyes, and lungs.