Clarification from the agency

This is an INTERNAL ANNOUNCEMENT and is limited to current permanent employees of the Iowa City VA Health Care System and current permanent VA Nationwide employees. If you are not in any of these categories, you should apply under the external announcement number CBSY-13051369-26-MI NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The incumbent provides operational guidance to the administrative lead pharmacy technician. The incumbent reports to the Chief of Pharmacy and must have an extensive knowledge of pharmacy policies, complex purchasing procedures, the use of specialized software and equipment, as well as excellent organizational and interpersonal communication skills.

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES:

Budget and Procurement
1) Monitor and perform labor mapping for the pharmacy department.
2) Writes or collaborates to write policies and procedures for pharmaceutical procurement, inventory management, and contracting processes.
3) Develops contracting acquisition packages with all necessary required documents including, but not limited to: market research, independent Government cost estimate, statement of work, quotes, proof of funding, etc.
4) Contracting Officer Representative (COR) for emergency fill prescriptions, Illinois State Veterans Home (Quincy, IL), and Prime Vendor.
5) Prepare procurement packages, perform cost analysis, write sole source justifications, communicate with vendors/contractors.
6) Conduct periodic surveys of equipment and property utilization and recommend actions for optimizing economical and efficient use.
7) Alternate approving official for the Government Purchase Card Program, ensure compliance with VA financial policies and program standards.
8) Monitor purchase card holder activities, control point funds, direct purchase, Medical Surgical Prime Vendor purchases, SEPG requests, and equipment work orders for compliance.
9) Serves as Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Controlled Substance Ordering System (CSOS), and Purchase Card Reviewer.
10) Performs monthly security reviews and accompanying report, controlled substance balance adjustments in the pharmacy vault required by national PM.
11) Monitors compliance with national drug recalls, medication use evaluation tracker (MUET), risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS).
12) Monitors department level operating budget including B09 reconciliation, inventory management and annual inventory, contract and service agreement spending and purchase card utilization.
13) Serves as backup to the Pharmacy Emergency Cache Manager and responsible for all maintenance, inspections, and compliance with VHA Directive 1047 (All Hazards Emergency Cache Directive).
14) Leads strategic planning for administrative operations in conjunction with pharmacy management. Assists in preparation of department annual review.

Administrative Management
1) Provide operational guidance to the lead administrative pharmacy technician and resolve minor problems.
2) Represent Chief and Associate Chiefs in their absence or conflict in schedule, in matters not of a clinical nature and acts on various committees to ensure timely and orderly flow of pharmacy activities.
3) Responsible for physical and electronic security of the pharmacy. Coordinates with police for physical security reviews, monthly assessment of code green system and alarms. Serves as PIV sponsor and backup medical records liaison.
4) Collate personnel and procedure informational updates for distribution in the monthly Pharmacy Infusion Newsletter.
5) Serve as backup for Pharmacy ADPAC and timekeeper.
6) Maintain audit trail to ensure timely completion of actions for new hires and ongoing folder compliance with HR standards.
7) Prepare and submit pharmacist Scope of Practice for approval and maintain system of records to ensure all clinical pertinence reviews are submitted in a timely manner.

Customer Service
1) Treat patients, team members, other facility employees and visitors with dignity and respect.
2) Respond to the needs of the Veteran and staff in a courteous and timely manner.
3) Demonstrate appropriate and proactive interpersonal skills to achieve the goals of the service.
4) Demonstrate an ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality of care.
5) Maintains practice consistent with the medical center's mission and vision goals as well as the Pharmacy's professional code of ethics.
6) Pharmacy service point of contact for Patient Advocate Tracking System notification and customer service issues reported to the director's office.
7) Coordinate resolution of CPAC inquiries and copay reset requests.
8) Serve as service line point of contact for Care In The Community (CITC).
9) Coordinate resolution of local, VISN, or national action required items.
10) Service line point of contact for resolving EHR consults and scheduling procedures.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Not available
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.

• 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.

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).

• Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) 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-10 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated:
  • Ability to analyze data for performance improvement projects, workload analysis and statistical reports.
  • Ability to prepare for and maintain special accreditations, inspections and reviews (e.g., The Joint Commission, Office of Inspector General, American Society of Health System Pharmacists, controlled substances inspections).
  • Ability to solve problems and implement corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program area.
  • Expert knowledge of budgetary and pharmacy procurement operating procedures such as, but not limited to, budget reconciliation, annual wall to wall inventory, sterile compounding and service contracts.
  • Skill in managing supply problems such as back orders, interchangeability of products during shortages or finding suitable replacement products.
  • Skill in monitoring the quality of input and output of automated/perpetual medication inventory management systems.
  • Ability to write policies and procedures for pharmaceutical procurement, inventory management and contracting processes.
  • Ability to develop contracting acquisition packages with all necessary required documents including, but not limited to, market research, independent Government cost estimate, statement of work/performance work statement, quotes, proof of funding, etc.
• 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 and other non-traditional pharmacy locations, with minimal oversight.

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.