Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. First area of consideration will be given to Kansas City VA Medical Center facility employees; second area of consideration is Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees; third area of consideration is all other current, permanent federal employees and the public.

Videos

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

Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf

Primary Functions are but limited to:

Unit Dose Dispensing

• Fills and delivers all pre-exchange doses, STAT/NOW and ONE TIME unit dose orders to appropriate areas after they are checked by a pharmacist hourly throughout day shift tour.
• Fills individual patient medication drawers from the inpatient dispensing pharmacy according to the computer generated pick list Mon. - Sat.
• Assures that only bar coded medications are dispensed to inpatients.
• Fills all missing dose requests within one hour of receipt.
• Perform a final review of medication (prepared by another technician) to be dispensed to inpatient areas (unit dose carts) and/or fill unit dose carts independently without a second review.
• Inventories and replenishes emergency carts within or without a second review.

Prescription Processing

• Selects proper medications, counts or measures proper quantities, places drugs in appropriate container(s), affixes required and appropriate labels to drug containers and records required dispensing information on prescription to provide accurate medications for patients.

Stocking and Packaging

• Inventories and restocks inpatient dispensing wall, utilizing the ATC Profile machine, to maintain adequate stock levels for dispensing needs using a knowledge of pharmacy procedures, formulary medications, and stock usage rates.
• Reviews medications in the inpatient dispensing area and in patient care areas for outdates and pulls and returns outdated or unusable stock based on knowledge of medication characteristics and Pharmacy procedures.
• Inventories, assesses and determines the medication needs for the ATC Profile machine and fills machine using strict sterile procedures to preserve and protect the products.
• Receives, fills and delivers ward stock orders (to include large volume IV's) in accordance with the ward stock policy and electronically enters orders to maintain drug accountability.

Compounding

• Selects, assembles and compounds all ingredients in the required amounts according to master formulas and special requests, for all bulk compounding to ensure that adequate quantities are available using an extensive knowledge of ingredient properties and characteristics, computational ability, measuring systems and devices, sterile technique, pharmacy procedures and necessary equipment. All work is given a final check by the pharmacist.
• Coordinates supply and inventory levels of compounded stock to prioritize activities using knowledge of usage rates, procedures, formulary medications, and product characteristics.

Sterile Parenteral Solution Preparation

• Calculates and converts to metric measures the quantity of drug to be used for making IV medication.
• Selects proper medication, dose, strength, solution and admixes per established procedures, reconstituting as required to prepare IV medication, using strict aseptic technique, with reference to a pharmacist for final check.
• Completes all work using knowledge of pharmacy policies and procedures, techniques, measuring systems, equipment, medication properties and arithmetic computations.

Work Schedule: evenings and weekend rotation.
Compressed/Flexible:Not available
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Available (full-time telework position)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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 identification 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

This position falls under the FY 26 Shortage Occupation list and VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOES NOT APPLY

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: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• 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.(3)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 Health career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

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: Pharmacy Technician, GS-07.

Experience-Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. (Creditable Experience - To be creditable, experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with the scope of pharmacy technician practice.)

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.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)-In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
(b) Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
(c) Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
(d) Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
(e) Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
(f) 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 are nationally certified and can work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties. These pharmacy technicians mentor and train lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting. They assist advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participate in performance improvement initiatives. At this level, pharmacy technicians use independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy. They also function as staff pharmacy technicians in various locations of the pharmacy, including pharmacy contact centers.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/159 PART II APPENDIX G28 dated November 07, 2023

Physical Requirements: Fine manipulation to include keyboarding (8 hours), hearing (aid permitted), employee will be required to sit at a computer for long periods of time in order to complete the duties of the position

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.