Pharmacy Technician

Summary

The Customer Service Pharmacy Technician position is located in the Newington Outpatient Pharmacy. Pharmacy technicians prepare medications by counting - pouring - weighing - measuring - and mixing or compounding medications. The pharmacy technician may also prepare medications for distribution to clinics and outpatients for pickup and mailing. Pharmacy techs work in collaboration with other pharmacy technicians and responds to requests of pharmacists - call centers - patients and supervisory staff.

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:

• 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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) 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)
• 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: Customer Service Pharmacy Technician (Newington Outpatient) GS-0661-08 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 (GS-06) - 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: 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: VA Outpatient Pharmacy experience
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Principal duties of this position require repetitive use of hands and fingers (e.g. - preparing prescriptions - use of a computer keyboard - etc.)
• May require lifting and carrying light loads (up to 44lbs.) - including boxes - equipment - medical supplies - stock boxes etc.
• stooping or kneeling (e.g. - to pick up items from the floor - remove and replace items on lower shelves - and to file documents in lower file drawers - etc.)
• sitting - walking - or standing for long periods of time (4-8 hours)
• Ability to operate automation
• Normal ranges of hearing and vision are required to perform work and communicate effectively
• An ability to perform tasks.

Duties

• VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf Customer Service Pharmacy Technician (Newington Outpatient) GS-0661-08 Under the supervision of a Pharmacist - or Supervisory Pharmacy Technician - pharmacy technicians perform routine pharmacy functions including medication preparation - inventory accountability and medication distribution
• Pharmacy technicians prepare prescriptions by counting - pouring - weighing - measuring - and mixing the medication if necessary
• Pharmacy technicians receive and set up stock - and take inventory of medications
• Pharmacy technicians prepare medications for outpatients in various settings - including non-sterile product preparation
• Pharmacy technicians are able to read and understand medication profiles - refill prescriptions - track orders and triage patient medication inquiries appropriately
• Pharmacy technicians at this GS-08 standard 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 in this assignment specialize in areas such pharmacy customer care - controlled substances - medication history review - automation - returned medication package management - triaging phone and internet inquiries from patients - CPRS documentation including entering requests for medication renewals and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession
• The pharmacy technician will be a key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area while communicating with CMOP - local inventory and procurement staff and various call centers
• The technician will also be able to perform all pharmacy technician duties as it relates to the outpatient pharmacy
• Furthermore - in addition to managing the customer service - they will have the knowledge - skills and abilities to cover higher level functions as applicable to the particular outpatient setting- this can include downloading telephone and internet refills - filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations - taking medication histories and counseling patients - managing automation - managing workflow - triaging customer service issues/requests from call centers - evaluating CMOP rejects for local filling - assisting in formulary management - basic inventory management - and training and orienting staff in the specialized area
• Duties include but are not limited to the following description: Knowledgeable and proficient in all areas related to GS-0661-08 duties including controlled substance management - pharmacy automated dispensing equipment - pharmacy customer service - inventory/procurement and reverse distribution matters along with workflow management
• Evaluates - coordinates and performs work activities involved with inventory management and pharmacy automation (i.e. - ScriptPro - Pyxis - Omnicell - FastFill - OptiFill etc.)
• This will involve trouble shooting - gathering data - navigating formulary issues at the local level and coordinating between campuses as well as CMOP
• Trains and orients pharmacy staff - and other medical center staff as needed related to pharmacy
• Understands the VA formulary and keeps abreast of active formulary conversions and/or backorders that need to be acted upon locally when reviewing CMOP rejects
• Proactively communicates with pharmacists - inventory and formulary managers - supervisors and procurement techs assisting in the management of formulary conversions and medication backorders
• Resolves customer service inquiries related to a broad range of topics - including medication refills/renewals - basic billing inquiries - and procedural pharmacy activities
• These may come from a variety of sources including patient advocate - pharmacy customer care - clinical contact center - direct patient calls and/or clinic requests
• Reviews medication history and enters renewal requests into CPRS as needed
• Thoroughly understands controlled substance policies and procedures - including controlled substance inspection process - discrepancies and resolution
• Oversight over the controlled substance return packages to ensure documentation of chain of custody and resolution to final disposition
• Ability to perform all major technician duties up to and including the GS-0661-07 Outpatient Technician assignments as related to prescription assembly - basic inventory - customer service - compounding - ward stock - ward inspections - controlled substances
• Other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Primarily Monday thru Friday - 7:00am to 3:30pm with occasional 8:00am-4:30pm and 8:30am to 5pm based on medical center needs
• Telework: Not Available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: F06758