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Pharmacy Technician

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
North Florida/ South Georgia VA Healthcare System

Summary

The pharmacy technician will provide technical support services within the pharmacy department at the Tallahassee VA Clinic, including providing customer service to Veterans and providers related to prescription needs, preparing prescriptions for patients in various settings by counting, pouring, weighing, measuring, or mixing the medications, dispensing and delivering medications, and using automated systems and electronic health records.

Overview

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Accepting applications
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$51,968 - $67,558 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 6
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CBTC-13051888-26-TE
Control number
888507500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Public-Open to ALL US Citizens, this is a public announcement open to external candidates. Veterans Preference is applicable and have first consideration. Those who are Current VA employees or current federal employees of other agencies may apply to announcement CBTC-13051889-26-TE. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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Duties

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Duties included but not limited to:

  • Provide patients and/or caregivers with medication and supplies, as ordered by the provider.
  • Perform technical support work in the pharmacy under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist and/or a full performance level pharmacy technician.
  • Fill prescriptions utilizing automation.
  • Package and/or dispense medications and supplies after a final check by a pharmacist.
  • Answer questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution.
  • Perform monthly inspections of assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and removal of soon-to-expire or expired medications.
  • Receive, check, rotate, and stock items received from pharmacy procurement section, identifying and reconciling any discrepancies to ensure the correct items have been received.
  • Monitor refrigerator, freezer, and/or room temperature and humidity in assigned areas, responding to alerts with appropriate correction or escalation as indicated.


Work Schedule: 8 hour rotational shifts including evenings, night, weekends and holidays
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 51236F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

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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

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 with38 U.S.C. ยง 7407(a).

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.

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.

Grandfathering Provision. Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date (11/07/23) 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.


Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for appointment in paragraph 5, VA HR staff must use the following criteria to determine the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

Pharmacy Technician, GS-06.
Education or Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of Federal and state laws related to pharmacy practice.
  • Knowledge of preparation, storage and distribution of medication products including those requiring special handling and documentation.
  • Ability to use pharmacy information systems or operate pharmacy dispensing equipment.
  • Knowledge of basic inventory procedures.
  • Ability to communicate with patients and staff and direct questions to appropriate personnel.

Assignments. Pharmacy technicians at the full performance level may fill orders, dispense/deliver medications using automated systems or provide technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs. Duties will include delivery of medications to floors/patients, filling medications 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.


The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-6.

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion involving moderate lifting/carrying (15-44 pounds) and walking/standing for 4 hours. The work also involves working with hands in water, work closely with others, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid may be permitted), use of fingers, both hands required, and be emotionally and mentally stable.

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

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

NOTE:
Your resume must include the following information for each job listed: * Job title * Duties (be as detailed as possible) * Month and Year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008) * Full-Time or Part-Time status with hours worked per week Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

NF/SGVHS is a Level 1A major interdisciplinary teaching facility that contains two hospitals with service lines serving medical, surgical, and neurological inpatients and outpatients, with a Level II Emergency Department in Gainesville and a Level III Emergency Department in Lake City, and multiple community based outpatient clinics (CBOC). There is a large outpatient psychiatric population, with admissions for medical co-morbidities. Home-Based Primary Care is provided in the veteran's home. Executes position responsibilities that demonstrates leadership, experience, and creative approaches to management of complex patient care.

Agency contact information

Thomas Ellis
Phone
713-791-1414 X149983
Email
thomas.ellis4@va.gov
Address
Malcom Randall Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
1601 Southwest Archer Road
Gainesville, FL 32608
US

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https://vacareers.va.gov/

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