Pharmacy Technician

Full Job Description

This position is for a certified pharmacy technician above the full performance level at the Robley Rex VA Medical Center.

Pharmacy technicians above the full performance level can mentor and train lower grade technicians in the practice setting.

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. 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: Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

OR (2) National Health career 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 by38 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-07. (1) Experience. One year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the 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. (4) 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.

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.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-7 to GS-7. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

Major Duties:

Major Duties: I. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNED DUTIES.

The employee will assist the pharmacist in providing optimal care and timely service in accordance with the mission, vision, and goals of the Robley Rex VA Medical Center and Pharmacy Service. II.

Functions A. General 1.Interprets, fills, and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification. 2.

Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines, including the storage of high-risk, look alike/sound alike, hazardous, controlled substances, corrosive chemical, flammable liquids, and refrigerated items.

3. Checks, rotates, and places in stock all items received from pharmacy procurement section and identifies and reconciles any discrepancies. 4.

Utilizes automated dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff, and reports automation malfunctions timely to the supervisor as appropriate. 5.

Records expiration dates in the automated prescription dispensing system. 6.

Performs monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed. Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements.

7.Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile).

This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used for final pharmacist verification. a.

Manufactures products requiring compounding for single or multiple patients. b. Uses standard protocols to determine an accurate expiration date for each batch prepared. c.

Proficiently operates equipment including, but not limited to balances and mixing machines in the compounding of pharmaceutical products. 8.

Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution.

Identifies basic therapeutic problems, such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention. 9.

Assists in training and orientation of new technicians, interns, and students. 10. Performs duties of all lower grade technicians as needed. 11.

Participate in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy. 12. Assists higher level technicians as needed. 13.

Completes all national, VISN, local, and service mandatory trainings in a timely manner. 14. Maintains national certification with PTCB or ExCPT. 15.

Complies with all VHA, Medical Center, and Pharmacy regulations, directives, policies, and procedures. B. Controlled Substance Activities a.

Appropriately restocks controlled substance items in automated dispensing cabinets (i.e., Pyxis) in pharmacy or throughout medical center. b.

Documents all controlled substance related transactions as indicated by VA and DEA guidelines. c. Assures that inventory counts are correct at the time of restocking. d.

Ensures that proper handoff occurs when receiving or delivering controlled substances, always assuring that these medications are never left unsecured. e.

Assists inspectors with the inventory and accountability inspections. C. Inpatient Pharmacy Activities a.

Sterile Product Compounding -follows USP 797/800 Guidelines for the compounding of all sterile preparations, including ophthalmic, cardioplegic, TPN, hazardous, large & small volume IV solutions, PCAs, etc.

Manufactures uncomplicated and/or complicated parenteral admixtures to be delivered in the form of large volume, small volume, infusion syringe, or other as required.

Consistently displays competence with good manufacturing practices, sterile technique, and IV workflow technology. D. Unit Dose Medication Management a.

Performs review of medications prepared by another pharmacy employee to be dispensed to hospital areas. b. Inventories and replenishes emergency and anesthesia trays. c.

Assures repackaged dosage forms are labeled according to USP and VA standards and attains a final review by a pharmacist. d. Maintains repackaging records that assures all regulatory standards are met.

E. Automatic Replenishment/Ward Stock a. Correctly inventories, assesses, and determines the need for floor stock and external medication. b.

Accurately fills prescription items for wards using Automatic Replenishment reports or automation software. F. Outpatient Pharmacy Activities (to be completed after hours, weekends, and holidays a.

Prescription Assembly b. Window Pick-Up-Verifies the patient's identification following the Medical Center's policies (i.e., two patient identifiers.

Verifies that the patient receives the correct prescriptions by using VA software (i.e., ScriptPro and barcode scanning. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 1030-1900. Holidays shifts should be expected.

Holiday tours could fall between 0530 - 1900. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): No Telework: No Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 40359-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): No