Pharmacy Technician

Description:

Pharmacy Technician in the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) Clinical Contact Center are part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team. Serves a certified pharmacy technician who is efficient, motivated, focuses on customer satisfaction and, who, under the authority of the VISN Clinical Contact Center Pharmacy Director, or designee, is responsible for the technical management of all patient care assistance activities regarding pharmacy services in the Clinical Contact Center.

Requirements:

Basic Requirements :

• United States 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 VA Policy.
• 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.
• 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. 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).
• 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

Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for appointment, VA HR staff must use the following criteria to determine the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

Pharmacy Technician, GS-07

• 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:

• Proficiency in medical terminology and pharmacy information systems.
• Ability to coordinate medical services while delivering patient-centered care in a call center environment.

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-7.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary but may involve prolonged standing and/or walking.