Pharmacy Technician (Controlled Substance)

Full Job Description

The Controlled Substance Pharmacy Technician is responsible for successfully securing and accounting for controlled substances, involving detailed administrative procedures from the decision to purchase a medication to the consumption or destruction of the individual doses of that medication.

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series.

For more information, refer to Required Documents below 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.

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) as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) ,OR, National Healthcareer Association (NHA) as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

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 Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level 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-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated: Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology and policies in a specialized area or section of pharmacy (such as sterile compounding, controlled substances, automation, clinical pharmacy, contact center, etc.) Note: See Specialized Area.in the Definitions Section.

Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures.

Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy.

Assignment: 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 have a higher level of responsibility for specialized areas of pharmacy and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty.

Pharmacy technicians at this grade level may be appointed to one of the following assignments: Pharmacy Technician: Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding, oncology, controlled substances, medication history review, clinical specialist (anticoagulation, pain, infectious diseases), clinical informatics, automation, immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession.

The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area.

The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products, filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations, taking medication histories and counseling patients, managing automation, managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area.

Preferred Experience: Previous experience with controlled substances preferred.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. This position is above the full performance level.

Physical Requirements: None Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major Duties Controlling access to storage areas and ensuring controlled substances are always stored in locked, supervised areas that are specifically designated for controlled substance storage.

Prepares and fills all inpatient and outpatient orders and requests for controlled substances.

Works with procurement staff to ensure the necessary controlled substances are maintained at stock levels that prevent both shortages and overstock situations.

Coordinates the destruction of unusable controlled substances according to DEA and VHA handbooks. Performs administrative accountability tasks that track and account for each medication.

Delivers controlled substances, unit-dose medications, ward stock medication, and IV fluids as assigned. Completes routine calls to the prescriber/pharmacist to clarify and/or complete an order.

Will document all contact according to Pharmacy Service policies and procedures.

Performs final review of medication to be dispensed to inpatient areas and/or fills unit dose carts independently without secondary review.

Compounds or reconstitutes oral or external medications without a second review.

Assists in total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment, action teams, and continually seeks to improve services.

Manufactures uncomplicated parenteral admixtures to be delivered in the form of large volume, small volume, infusion syringe; and complicated parenteral admixtures in the form of total parenteral nutrition formulations, ophthalmic preparations, cardioplegia solutions, and orthopedic/surgical irrigation solutions.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, 0930-1800, Monday-Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized