Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This vacancy announcement is open to current permanent employees of the South Texas Veteran's Health Care System (STVAHCS) Facility only.

Videos

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

The duties and responsibilities of the Pharmacy Technician (Procurement/Inventory) include but are not limited to the following:

• Perform various procurement support duties involved in the use of different and unrelated procedures and methods. Over 80% of time is spent correlating transactions that are not completely standardized; dealing with continually changing deadlines and priorities; completing assigned functions that are relatively broad and varied.
• Use different established procedures to screen incoming purchase request item descriptions for accuracy and adequacy; and will then monitor the status of the associated purchase order.
• Review and reconcile various documents and records and resolve a variety of problems through the coordination with vendors and personnel in receiving, supply and check-in areas.
• Monitor the status of deliveries, reconciling invoices to ensure quantities invoiced are accounted and received.
• Work one on one with vendors and suppliers to resolve regular problems and discuss with lead or management as indicated. Problems include (but not limited to) billing issues, delivery dates, the quantity of items ordered.
• Make independent decisions with vendors, contractors, and suppliers using prescribed guidelines set forth for the position.
• Demonstrate good organizational skills to ensure that work is done in a safe, timely and efficient manner.
• Apply inventory management techniques to many different types of classes of drugs, prosthetic items, and other medical and pharmaceutical devices.
• Ordering officer for pharmacy service, delegated by the VA National Acquisition Center (NAC) while maintaining annual training requirements.
• Initiate ordering requirements of pharmaceuticals, specialty, and supply items through pharmacy prime vendors multi complex accounts or other mandatory sources. Adhere to federal contracts and compliance with federal regulations regarding open market, ensuring inventory control through perpetual evaluation.
• Assist in determining ordering intervals and stock levels appropriate to meet changes in formulary, brand to AB rated generic drugs, contract changes, conversions, new drug indications including backorders and seasonal changes.
• Procure all types of pharmaceuticals including controlled and non-controlled drugs within established VA ordering guidelines, policies, and procedures within inventory management specialized area with the understanding of proper budget utilization.
• Purchase using National contracts (NAT), Federal supply schedules (FSS), Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) and open market etc. to ensure compliance with federal acquisition regulations, and policy, understanding the contracting hierarchy of all purchases.
• Purchase using government issued credit cards for micro purchase limits with understanding of when to use; while maintaining required proper documentation, and reconciliation of receipt of all orders for auditing and accountability purposes, training, etc.
• Reconcile all credit card purchases in a timely manner.
• Possess knowledge of VA and regulatory agency requirements for drug storage and special requirements for procurement, storage, distribution, and handling of various hazardous and non-hazardous drug classes.
• Possess knowledge of principles, policies and state and federal laws and regulations related to controlled substances.
• Utilize proper inventory management to ensure sufficient stock of medications and supply are available to meet the needs of the pharmacy and patient care.
• Maintain a clean working environment and update shelf labels as contracts dictate.
• Train and orient new personnel, volunteers, students, etc., in the technical phases of operations.
• Possess technical working knowledge and follow established policies and procedures of usage rates, stock levels, inventory maintenance concepts including just-in-time inventory and assist in annual or semiannual pharmacy wall-to-wall inventory.
• Possess knowledge of all aspects of drug characteristics and nomenclature for procurement and stock maintenance including: (1) Generic and brand names (2) Dosage forms (3) Various systems of weights and measures (4) Drug product codes (5) Drug AB rating equivalence

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday,0900-1730
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
Telework: Not eligible for Telework
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 51509F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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 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:

• 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 - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d)
• Education or Experience:

a. None required.b. 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:

a. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).b. 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:
Pharmacy Technician (Procurement/Inventory), GS-08
1. 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).
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:
a. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
b. National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
3. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs:
a. 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.)
b. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures.
c. Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy.
d. Basic knowledge of pharmacy procurement, distribution and storage requirements to maintain a safe working environment. This includes not limited to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and DEA requirements and regulations.
e. Ability to assist in determining and modifying as necessary: ordering intervals, inventory levels and cost-effective ordering quantities from required sources based on current financial conditions in pharmacy, seasonal variations in drug usage, changing patterns in medical practice, delivery time requirements and urgency of medical need.

Preferred Experience:

• 4 years pharmacy practice experience
• 2 years procurement/inventory management experience
• Knowledge of pharmacy vendor programs
• 2 years inpatient experience
• 1 year outpatient experience
• 1 year general logistics/acquisition experience

Reference: VA Handbook 5005/159, Part II, Appendix G28, dated November 7, 2023, Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standard GS-0661.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08.

Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 lbs.), pulling/pushing (3 hours), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands, walking/standing (8 hours), kneeling and repeated bending (1 hour), both legs required, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, DVA correctable to 20/40, both eyes required, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid permitted), and mental and emotional stability. Environmental factors include, constant noise, dust, working closely with others, working around machinery with moving parts, and protracted or irregular hours of work. The work involves long periods of moving, standing and pushing carts about the work unit.

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.