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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The incumbent serves as a pharmacy technician. The incumbent is under the supervision of the Associate Chief, Clinical Pharmacy Service, or designee. In general, the incumbent performs clinical and technical management duties to support the Clinical Pharmacy Service.

For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 50% of the time. However, if time permits, the incumbent may be assigned additional clinical and technical management duties to other areas within the Pharmacy Service. Pharmacy technicians at this level have a higher level of responsibility for specialized areas of pharmacy and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as medication history review, clinical specialist (acute care, anticoagulation, behavioral health, cardiology, emergency medicine, geriatrics, HBPC, infectious diseases, nephrology, substance use disorder, oncology, pain, PACT, pharmacogenomics, women's health) and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession.
• Completes new patient intake reviews and/or medication histories for provider review.
• The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area.
• Provides population management functions using patient care dashboards to identify patients for potential intervention.
• Complete consenting for pharmacogenomic testing, review patient lab results, and triage per protocol when applicable. Due to the constantly evolving nature of healthcare, other duties and responsibilities related to PGx will be assigned as needed.
• Assists with ongoing engagement and recruitment of Veterans to the Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) clinics.
• Educates Veterans regarding disease states, ensures Veterans have appropriate monitoring supplies and provide monitoring guidance.
• Independently maneuvers algorithms to access patient needs and refer care in accordance with patient and/or clinician responses.
• Assists in coordinating clinic coverage for unexpected leave.
• Provides reminder phone calls as needed for coordination of care.
• Serves as a point of contact for patients and to monitor for medication therapy compliance.
• Manages incoming veteran calls, voicemail and secure messages and addresses as appropriate.
• Maintains a comprehensive knowledge of pharmacy drug policies and procedures, as they pertain to pharmacy.

Other Responsibilities:

• Participates in accreditation visit preparation and meetings with accreditation personnel. Examples include The Joint Commission, The Office of the Inspector General, and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
• Identifies areas for improvement within the workflow of Clinical Pharmacy to facilitate the delivery of care to Veterans.
• Develops and maintains a comprehensive understanding of CPRS, enabling the technician to work with a computer application coordinator (CAC) to develop and improve personal and shared templates.
• Trains and orients new personnel in all technical phases of pharmacy operations within the pharmacy arena to improve their expertise and understanding of service line operations.
• Provides in-services to the Robert J Dole VA pharmacy and non-pharmacy staff on pharmacy issues.
• Involvement with pharmacy management to assist with development and updating of Robert J Dole VA policies.
• Utilize VHA office systems to develop and share education, specifically through use but not limited to the following: Word, Excel, Outlook, Visio and SharePoint.
• Evaluate, analyze workflow, and coordinate work activities to continually improve the efficiency and safety of pharmacy practices. This will include involvement with formal and informal improvement activities.

Work Schedule: M-F 8am-4:30pm
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-08

Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-08 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07)


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).

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

1. 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.)
2. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures.
3. Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G28, Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standard

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.