Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens. Facility employee have first consideration NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws

Major duties but, not are limited to:

Medication Management

• Reads and interprets prescriptions, obtains proper medication or material in the proper strength and dosage form, determines proper amount and counts, pours, or measures the medications; affixes proper label; and records required data on Pharmacy's copy of prescription/order.
• For unit-dose medications, performs final review of medication when prepared by another technician, to be dispensed to inpatient areas (med-carts, ward stock), and/or fills unit-dose carts.
• Inventories and replenishes emergency carts with appropriate medications and supplies.
• Collects drug use evaluation data for quality improvement purposes as required.
• Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment such as unit dose prepackaging machines, automatic dispensing machines, IV compounding machines and other pharmacy devices.

Pharmacy Phone System

• Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel with regard to drug distribution procedures and timeframes for delivery.

Sterile Product Compounding

• Performs daily cleaning as outlined in policy and maintains accurate cleaning logs.
• Consistently displays competency through biannual assessments and annual didactic review.
• Coordinates, communicates, and works with the supervisor to resolve any sterile manufacturing related problems.
• Selects and measures appropriate ingredients needed to compound IV admixtures, TPN solutions, ophthalmic preparations and cardioplegia solutions.
• Mixes the ingredients in a sterile environment safely and effectively, inspects the final product for accuracy, suitability, and elegance, and properly labels all products. Maintains accurate compounding records and obtains appropriate pharmacist signatures for all compounded IV admixtures.

Unit Dose Medication Management

• Accurately inventories and replenishes emergency trays and other kits prepared by pharmacy prior to pharmacist verification.
• Proficiently operates equipment including but not limited to balances and mixing machines in the routing of manufacturing pharmaceutical products and automation.
• Responsible for the prepacking of unit dose solids and liquids and assures appropriate labeling according to USP standards, dispensed by Pharmacy Service to the nursing staff for patient administration for review by a pharmacist.
• Maintains prepacking records that ensure all regulatory and review standards are met.
• Accurately prepares missing doses and gives them to pharmacist(s) for second check before dispensed from pharmacy.

Controlled Substances Activities

• Maintains confidentiality of access codes.
• Assures that inventory counts are correct at the time of restocking.
• Ensures that proper handoff occurs when receiving or delivering controlled substances, always assuring that these medications are never left unsecured.
• Assists inspectors with the inventory and accountability inspections.

Stock Replenishment

• Correctly inventories, assesses, and determines the need for floor stock and external medication.
• Assures the complete and accurate replenishment of irrigation and intravenous solutions.
• Performs and documents an inspection of wards and other areas of medication use monthly before deadline comminuted by inpatient supervisors.
• Assures that each area that is inspected meets established standards for appropriate drug storage conditions including drug security.

Quality Assurance

• Accurately provides quality pharmaceutical services to all patients and assures that all medication orders are accurately prepared on a timely basis.
• Effectively develops techniques and methods for preventing repackaging, compounding, stocking, and filling errors and consistently provides pharmaceuticals with complete accuracy.
• Thoroughly completes all dispensing records with the required information.
• Assists in the total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve service.

Work Schedule: 10 hour compressed tours including weekends and holidays, with rotating tours of duty as needed.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 31106F
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive - Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increase.

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.
• 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).
• 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 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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

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).

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-Documentation Submitted. 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:

Pharmacy Technician, GS-07.

(1) Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-6) grade level.

(2) Certification. 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).
OR
2) National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

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.

Assignments. 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 25% of the time. 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. Pharmacy technicians at this grade level may be appointed to one of the following assignments:

• Pharmacy Technician. Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding, oncology, controlled substances, medication history review, clinical specialist (anticoagulation, pain, infectious diseases), clinical informatics, automation, immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession. The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area. The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products, filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations, taking medication histories and counseling patients, managing automation, managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area.

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-07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

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.
3. All other applicants

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.