Clarification from the agency

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to all U.S. Citizens. Open to NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

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

Major duties include, but are not limited to:
General Duties:

• Accurately interpret, fill , and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medication and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification.
• Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines.
• Receives, checks, rotates, and places in stock all items received from pharmacy procurement section and identifies and reconciles and discrepancies to assure correct items have been received.
• Utilizes automation dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff following all safety and QA procedures.
• Perform monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medication and soon to expired drugs are removed.
• 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.

Clinic Duties:

• Follow USP 797/800 Guidelines for the compounding of all sterile preparations, including ophthalmic, cardioplegic, TPN, hazardous, large & small volume IV solutions, PCAs, etc.
• Correctly interprets physician orders; selects and measures appropriate ingredients, mixes ingredients in a safe and effective manner, inspect the final product for accuracy, suitability, and elegance.
• Performs review of medication prepared by another pharmacy employee to be dispensed to hospital areas.
• Inventories and replenishes emergency trays.
• Correctly inventories, assesses, and determines the need for floor stock and external medication.
• Performs and documents an inspection of assigned hospital areas for medication storage.

Outpatient Duties:

• Assembles prescriptions properly with the correct drug, strength, quantity, auxiliary labels, and prescription labels for window dispensing and mail delivery.
• Assures correct medication is filled by using bar code scanning on stock bottles.
• Verifies patient identification following the Medical Center's policies.
• Verifies the patient receives the correct prescription by using VA software such as VISTA.
• Utilizes and comprehends the mail shipping programs used by the facility (i.e. USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.) for overnight delivery of non-controlled and controlled prescriptions.
• Calls patient to arrange delivery of refrigerated prescriptions and verifies patients' address.

Work Schedule: Generally an 8-hour tour Monday - Friday, between the hours of 7:00am - 6:00pm. Rotating weekends, holidays, evenings, and nights based on the needs of the service.
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 55350F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
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 Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d).

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).

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met to qualify for a Pharmacy Technician GS-07 grade level:

Experience: You must have at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level. Examples of this includes, but is not limited to: fill, order, dispense/deliver medications using automated systems or provide technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs, filling medication for the pharmacist to review, checking for expired medications, answering phones with appropriate disposition, preparing sterile products (when applicable) and assisting with basic inventory management such as putting up stock and identifying when medications need to be ordered.

Certification: You must hold an active national certification through either: (1) PTCP as a CPhT or (2) NHA as a ExCPT.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• 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.

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.

Physical Requirements: Refer to VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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.