Pharmacy Technician

Full Job Description

The incumbent serves as a Pharmacy Technician in a VISN Clinical Contact Center (CCC) as part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team.

The Pharmacy CCC Technician will provide and support administrative and clinical activities as assigned.

All assigned clinical activities and functions shall be completed in accordance with approved pharmacy protocols.

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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). 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 (GS-07 and above): 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).

National Health-career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). Grandfather Provision.

A Pharmacy Technician employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (11/7/2023) 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.

Pharmacy Technician GS-7 Grade Determination: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-07 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06).

Pharmacy technicians 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.

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).

National Health-career Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs).

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.

Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.

Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers. Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.

Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.

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 and other non-traditional pharmacy locations, with minimal oversight.

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).

Preferred Experience: 3 years of outpatient pharmacy experience. Experience with VA Health Connect Clinical operations.

Ability to multi-task in a fast paced environment, Ability to self-resolve technical/computer issues. Very strong customer service skills.

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-07.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination. Major Duties:

Major duties include: Works collaboratively with VISN programs, services, and interdisciplinary coordinated care team members to provide access to care and meet the needs of Veterans, their family members and/or legal representatives via various available contact modalities to include but not limited to telephone calls, secure messaging, chat, text messaging and video regarding a broad range of topics, including medication refills/renewals, basic billing inquiries, and procedural pharmacy activities.

Routinely reviews computer medication profiles for therapeutic duplication, prescription non- compliance and allergies/drug reactions.

Transfers identified patients to a Pharmacist or supervisor, for further evaluation, if needed.

Processes and submits patient requests for new prescription orders and renewals (including controlled substances) into the computer accurately, thoroughly and in a timely manner.

Uses approved Pharmacy Service protocols when appropriate to satisfy patient medication requests.

Consistently documents patient contact and resolution in VISN Clinical Contact Center software and/or Electronic Health Record.

Professionally handles issues escalated from team members and follows guidelines to address the issue appropriately. Actively and diligently treats all Veterans with respect and utmost dignity.

Seeks to solve Veteran's concerns at first contact. When required, refers to other VA resources to assist in the resolution process.

Always resolves all Veteran issues in a timely and caring manner with emphasis on providing first contact resolution Maintains National Pharmacy Technician Certification.

Leads the training of new staff. Provides training and encouragement for team members not meeting organizational goals.

The incumbent proactively monitors call volume and clinical care staff performance through ACD metrics to identify personnel that may require further development and to determine where resources are needed.

Participates in continuous daily improvement and VISN CCC initiatives. Completes additional duties as assigned. Work Schedule: CCC is open a 365-day 24/7, 80 hours per pay period.

Work schedules will be determined based on staffing needs and may require rotating shifts. Holidays and weekend work are required. Virtual: This is a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 99329-S Pharmacy Technician