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 announcement is for current permanent employees of the Alaska VA Healthcare System only.

Videos

Medication Distribution System:

• Fill and prepare prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification.
• Assure drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines, including the storage of high-risk, look a-like, sound a-like, hazardous, controlled substances, corrosive chemical, flammable liquids, and refrigerated items.
• Receive, check, rotate, and place in stock all items received from pharmacy procurement section and identify and reconcile any discrepancies to assure correct items have been received.
• Record expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system.
• Compound and/or reconstitute oral or external medications (non-sterile).
• Identify basic therapeutic problems, such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alert the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention.
• Assist in training and orientation of new staff technicians, interns, and students.
• Participate in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy.
• Comply with all VHA, Medical Center, and Pharmacy regulations, directives, policies, and procedures.

Window Pick-Up:

• Verify the patient's identification following the Medical Center's policies (i.e., double patient identifiers).
• Verify the patient receives the correct prescriptions by using VA software (i.e., VISTA and barcode scanning).
• Verify the patient received all prescriptions (i.e., refrigerated, controlled substances, bulk medications, etc.).

Mail Packaging:

• Utilize and comprehend mail shipping programs used by the facility (i.e., USPS, FedEx, UPS, etc.) for overnight delivery of non-controlled and controlled prescriptions.
• Perform searches, update patient information, and generate shipping reports as requested by the supervisor.
• Call patients to arrange delivery of refrigerated prescriptions and verify patients' address.
• Package prescriptions appropriately to ensure packages are not damaged within transit.

Pharmacy Phone System:

• Maintain appropriate phone etiquette and professionalism.
• Accurately collect and clarify patient information.
• Understand when to alert pharmacists for issues.
• Communicate information accurately in electronic health records.

Controlled Substance Activities:

• These functions will be supported in the absence of the controlled substance technician (i.e., after hours, weekends, and leave).
• Interpret, fill, and ready prescriptions with appropriate medications for pharmacist verification.
• Document all controlled substance related transactions as indicated by VA and DEA guidelines.
• Ensure proper handoff occurs when receiving or delivering controlled substances, always assuring these medications are never left unsecured.

Unit Dose Medication Management:

• Prepare unit dose medications using pharmacy provided software.
• Inspect packaged items for accuracy and suitability before submitting for final check, prior to distribution.
• Trouble-shoot minor mechanical problems of all automated systems as they occur and coordinate resolution of more involved mechanical or software problems with Supervisor, vendor help desk, ADPAC, etc. as appropriate.

Automatic Replenishment/Ward Stock:

• Inventory, assess, and determine the need for floor stock and external medication.
• Inspect and document assigned hospital areas for medication storage.
• Remove all expired and deteriorated drugs from the automated dispensing stations, stock shelves, and the unit dose automated dispensing systems.
• Assure each inspected area meets established standards for appropriate drug storage conditions, including drug security for inspection and accreditation.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 8:00am to 4:30pm with occasional night, weekend, and holidays.
Compressed/Flexible:Possible after training.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not authorized.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
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).
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: Ad-hoc only.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 50415-F.
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 identification 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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 with38 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.

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).

Foreign Education. 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.

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).

GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for appointment above, VA HR staff must use the following criteria to determine the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

Pharmacy Technician, GS-07.
(1) Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower 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:
(a) PTCB as a CPhT.
OR
(b) NHA as a ExCPT.

(3) 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.

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-7.

Physical Requirements: There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019, updated on 4/17/2026.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

What are KSAs?
In the federal hiring process, Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) are a list of special qualifications and personal attributes that you need to have for a particular job/grade level (see Qualifications section of this announcement).

• Knowledge statements refer to an organized body of information usually of a factual or procedural nature which, if applied, makes adequate performance on the job possible. A body of information applied directly to the performance of a function. Skill statements refer to the proficient manual, verbal or mental manipulation of data or things.
• Skills can be readily measured by a performance test where quantity and quality of performance are tested, usually within an established time limit.
• Ability statements refer to the power to perform an observable activity at the present time. This means that abilities have been evidenced through activities or behaviors that are similar to those required on the job. Note that abilities are different from aptitudes. Aptitude is only the potential for performing the activity.

Although not required at the time of application, we highly recommend submitting a supplemental document with your written responses to the KSAs required at each grade level you wish to be considered. If you choose not to submit KSA responses, please ensure your resume includes details of your experience that fully demonstrate the required KSAs as described in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement.

5 Tips for Writing a Federal Resume - FederalPay.org (https://www.federalpay.org/articles/5-tips-for-writing-a-federal-resume)

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.