Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees.

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The duties of this position are performed in the sterile product preparation suite and accompanying storage areas of the inpatient pharmacy section at the Orlando VA Healthcare System Department of Pharmacy service. The incumbent is a highly specialized technician, who, under the authority of the Compound Sterile Products (CSP) program manager or designee, and responsible for the preparation of sterile products handled by pharmacy.

Functions of assigned duties include but are not limited to the following:

STERILE COMPOUNDING

• Knowledgeable in United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 797/800/795, Pharmacy Law, VHA Directives, and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations as they relate to practice within the VA Healthcare System and its organizational elements.
• Using aseptic technique, compounds both complicated and uncomplicated parenteral admixtures in the form of large volume, small volume, infusion syringe or another modality as required. Follows proper aseptic preparation techniques when compounding hazardous and non-hazardous medications.
• Prepares sterile ophthalmic preparations and other complex sterile pharmaceuticals such as total parenteral nutrition and cardioplegia solutions.
• Correctly interprets orders, selects, and measures appropriate ingredients, mixes ingredients in an aseptic and effective manner, inspects the final product for accuracy, suitability, and elegance, labels the product, maintains records of the manufacturing process, and supplies the product for delivery.
• Understands specific handling considerations for storage, distribution, and disposal of medications.
• Consistently displays competence with good aseptic technique manufacturing practices through demonstration and/or actual work performance.
• Technical working knowledge of equipment and supplies used in compounding sterile products including but not limited to admixing pumps, needles, syringes, and various compounding supplies, etc.
• Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment including but not limited to Omnicell/Pyxis, laminar flow hoods, total parental nutrition (TPN) compounder, repeater pumps, etc.)
• Routine checks for soon to expire medications and supplies and adjudicates them for appropriate disposition.
• Uses knowledge, skills, and abilities to resolve questionable orders or situations to ensure quality of care. Contacts pharmacists to obtain clarification for prescriptions/orders or any situation that presents a possible hazard to patient care.
• Performing accurate product selection, dosage calculations and compounding of agents utilizing package literature, written procedural guidelines and application of specialized knowledge.
• Generating of proper product identification labeling and assigning accurate stability and handling information. Labeling also includes appropriate auxiliary information to ensure safety and efficacy to the patient and other handlers of the product.

HAZARDOUS COMPOUNDING

• Receives hazardous IV chemotherapy inventory stock according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) guidelines placing in proper storage areas, rotating stock on shelves, and removing/replacing outdated items.
• Maintains chemotherapy medication and supply inventory, compounding supplies and cleaning products to ensure availability and minimize waste.
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of USP 795/797/800 chapters and hazardous drug handling to assist in management, compliance, staff education activities, training, and room certifications.
• Assists training/education for the focus area assigned.
• Provides training for new or existing staff so that competencies are maintained.

OTHER DUTIES

• After prescription/order(s) are reviewed by a pharmacist for therapeutic propriety, reviews orders for technical accuracy and converts the order, if necessary, so that the item dispensed corresponds to the drug and dose ordered.
• Assists with inventory management and ordering of medications.
• 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.
• Assists in total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services.
• The technician will work with, support, and substitute, as needed, for other Inpatient technicians, as well as being asked to staff during staffing shortages.

Work Schedule: Employees may be required to work day, evening, night, weekend, holiday and or compressed tours on a rotating schedule. The hours may vary per the needs of the service and will rotate, on a fair and equitable basis, to include weekends and holidays.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 81989F

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a trial period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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

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 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).

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).

Grandfathering Provision. Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard 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:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

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 REQUIREMENTS

Pharmacy Technician, GS-08

• Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-7) 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:
  • The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board as a CPhT. Or,
  • The National Healthcareer Association as a ExCPT.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology and policies in the sterile compounding specialized area or section of pharmacy.
  • 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.

*** Preferred Experience*** Recent experience compounding hazardous sterile products and CSPT certification.

This position is above Full Performance Level.

Reference. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements. Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. The work involves light to moderate lifting; light to moderate carrying; reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking; standing; stooping; pulling; pushing, repeated bending, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable, far vision correctable in one eye, ability to distinguish basic colors/shades of colors; hearing aid permitted. The work of this position involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, and residences or commercial vehicles, e.g., use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. Occasional travel may be required.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility
2. All other VA employees

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.