Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is only open to current employees of the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center. Veteran's Preference does not apply. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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This position is for a certified pharmacy technician above the full performance level GS-7 at the Robert J. Dole VA Healthcare System. Pharmacy technicians at this grade level are nationally certified by PTCB or ExCPT and can work autonomously, using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties. Pharmacy technicians above the full performance level can mentor and train lower grade technicians in the practice setting. The employee will assist the pharmacist in providing optimal care and timely service in accordance with the mission, vision, and goals of the Robert J. Dole VA Healthcare System and Pharmacy.

The incumbent is expected to accomplish higher-level duties by serving as the subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the Non-VA Care Pharmacy Technician, Controlled Substance Technician, Procurement Technician, and the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor. The higher-level duties consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and are performed by the incumbent at least 60% of the time.

Duties include but are not limited to:

The Specialist pharmacy technician assists the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor in quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment, action teams, and continually seeks to improve services.

• Assess workload volume throughout the day and make staffing adjustments as needed to meet organizational goals
• Along with the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor, will be responsible for personnel scheduling, time-and-attendance processing, and quality assurance activities
• Responsible for providing supervisory guidance in the absence of the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor
• Identify areas of duplication of efforts and develop solutions to streamline processes, reduce waste, cost savings, and improve patient care
• Responsible for organizing and assisting the pharmacy technician team to ensure assigned tasks are timely and accurately completed for their program area
• Coordinate day-to-day maintenance and operation of pharmacy area equipment and automation
• Promote harmonious relationships within the work environment and support the needs of the team and customers
• Listens to informal complaints of employees and other customers in a helpful and timely fashion. If not able to remedy a situation, the specialists will notify the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor
• Assists in training and orientating new and existing pharmacy technicians and students on policies and procedures
• Identify and report developmental and training needs to ensure safety and quality control for their program area
• Assists in developing training schedules and assists in maintaining documentation for all pharmacy technicians and students
• Effectively evaluates pharmacy activities to assist management to obtain short- and long-range objectives and goals
• Assist in the development of policies and procedures and participate in departmental goal planning and quality improvement activities
• Maintain competence by participating in staff development programs.
• Serves as the primary back up to other pharmacy technicians within the designated area of pharmacy
• Assists in assigning and tracking documentation regarding ward inspections and outdates within the Pharmacy department
• Duties may also include those of pharmacy technicians at the same or lower grade with tasks assigned by the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor or by another member of pharmacy management staff

Work Schedule: M-F 8am-4:30 with occasional rotation to 9am-5:30pm. No weekends.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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.
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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 - You must be a citizen of the United States
• English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
• 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 (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: 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: (a) PTCB as a CPhT. OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT.


In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
2. Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
3. Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
4. Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
5. Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
6. Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.

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

Physical Requirements: Physical movements involve completion of routine pharmacy functions which include but are not limited to significant computer work/typing, prescription order entry and processing, contact of patients (both face to face and via phone). Certain tasks are repetitive in nature and require multiple steps performed in succession for success. The incumbent should be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds without significant difficulty. Incumbent must be able to stand or sit in one place for considerable time during completion of complex tasks. Complexity of mental processes involved is extensive, demanding, and challenging.

How you will be evaluated

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

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.