Clarification from the agency

This is an INTERNAL ANNOUNCEMENT and is limited to current, permanent employees of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System and current permanent VA Nationwide employees. Current permanent employees of the Minneapolis VA Health Care System will receive first consideration. Employees of other federal agencies and the public (all U.S. citizens) should apply to announcement number CBSY-13015912-26-MI.

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The incumbent serves as a frontline supervisor with limited direct reports and significant time spent assigned to staff various IV or triage focused inpatient pharmacy work with concurrent leadership, coordination, and oversight responsibilities for the technician team members involved in the work. Responsibilities also include daily coordination of sterile compounding related training, competency, and technician work assignments in coordination with the sterile compounding program manager and other inpatient pharmacy supervisors. The incumbent will lead change through innovation and adaption, leading people effectively, promote quality improvement initiatives, and collaborate with other stakeholders within the Pharmacy Department and throughout the Medical Center.

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES: The duties and responsibilities of the Inpatient Pharmacy IV Technician Supervisor are often performed concurrently while staffing compounded sterile product related work areas and include but are not limited to
the following:

A. Program Management
1. Maintains knowledge in United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 800/797, pharmacy law, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations, VHA Directives, facility and departmental policies and procedures as they relate to practice within the VA Healthcare System.
2. Collaborates with the Compounded Sterile Products (CSP) Pharmacy Program Manager and inpatient pharmacist supervisor to implement and oversee technical aspects of sterile compounding, the lead IV pharmacy technician work, and inpatient pharmacy triage work.
3. Provides coordination of day-to-day activities of pharmacy technicians and any other learners or volunteers assigned in inpatient pharmacy with a focus on sterile compounding and triage work.

B. Administrative/Supervisory
1. Directly supervises technician activities of the inpatient pharmacy processing and dispensing areas.
2. Responsible for maintaining smooth workflow of day-to-day activities and assumes responsibility of workflow performed under the incumbent's supervision.
3. Assures quality control of the work of those under supervision through observation and spot inspection of completed work.
4. Acts as a pharmacy patient representative to resolve inpatient pharmacy dispensing concerns.

C. Education
1. Identifies continuing education needs of staff and, where possible, provides programs/resources to help meet the identified needs.
2. Assures that all necessary employee orientation and training occurs to assure continuance of high-quality services.
3. Assures all necessary documentation related to training is completed.

D. Quality Assurance
1. Assists the Inpatient Pharmacy management team and CSP program manager to plan, coordinate, develop, and implement all quality assurance activities for the Inpatient Pharmacy program with a lead role in sterile compounding activities.
2. Collaborates with inpatient pharmacy technician and pharmacist supervisors to review, analyze, and act upon inpatient pharmacy workload statistics, quality assurance data, and productivity and workflow reports.
3. Responsible for implementation, revision and interpretation of Pharmacy Service policies and procedures related to Inpatient Pharmacy and Inpatient Pharmacy contingency planning and assures their compliance with all regulatory bodies (e.g. USP 797, USP 800 and Joint Commission standards, and VACO directives and handbooks).

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS: The Inpatient Rotational Pharmacy Technician is a member of the Pharmacy Service. This individual is accountable to the Inpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor or other immediate supervisor who provides the administrative oversight, work assignment, management of time and leave and completion of all aspects of the performance evaluation. This individual works collaboratively with all levels of VA leadership and
services within and outside of the VHA and VISN as well as non-VA health care entities which provide care to patients. Performance will be evaluated based on the degree of the incumbent's ability to perform the duties of the position effectively, efficiently, and safely.

CUSTOMER SERVICE REQUIREMENTS: Meets the needs of customers while supporting the medical center and service missions. Consistently
communicates and treats customers (patients, visitors, volunteers, and all medical center staff) in a courteous,
tactful, and respectful manner. Provides the customer with consistent information according to established
policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and
appropriately.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, day and evenings, weekends and holidays
Telework: If available, Ad-Hoc ONLY
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
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 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 may 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

All requirements must be met at the time of the announcement closing.

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.
• Education or Experience.
  • None required.
  • 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:
  • Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). OR
  • National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
• Grandfathering Provision. Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard 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:
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
• 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).

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-09:

• Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-08) and demonstrate the KSAs below.
• Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:
  • PTCB as a CPhT. OR
  • NHA as a ExCPT.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for ALL GS-09 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated:
  • Expert knowledge serving as a key resource advising others in their particular specialty area or section of the pharmacy (such as procurement, sterile compounding (USP compounding standards),controlled substances DEA, automation, clinical pharmacy, lead tech, contact center, etc.).
  • Skill in analyzing data for self-driven (independent) performance improvement projects, workload analysis and statistical reports.
  • Skill in solving problems and implementing corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program area.
  • Ability to maintain special accreditations and prepare for national reviews/inspections (e.g., The Joint Commission, Inspector General, American Society of Health System Pharmacists®, controlled substance inspections).
  • Ability to develop training programs and material for orientation, competency development and educational needs for regulatory requirements within the specialized pharmacy program area.
• Supervisory Pharmacy Technician. Supervisory pharmacy technicians are responsible for management and supervision of at least three GS-08 pharmacy technicians. These positions require significant independent technical judgement and expertise in complex areas of pharmacy practice, regulatory requirements and quality standards. They organize, coordinate and manage programs for the pharmacy service at the facility level. These pharmacy technicians will be responsible for communicating with VISN or national pharmacy leadership as well as individual facility leadership and staff.
• Additional Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs).
  • Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders and managers.
  • Ability to utilize staffing methodology principles to determine adequate staffing to coordinate and manage workflow and work activities within pharmacy.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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.