Summary

This position is located at the Martinsburg West Virginia VA Medical Center within Pharmacy Service. The Pharmacy Technician (Automation - Dispensing) position functions as the automation specialist in all the patient care areas of pharmacy service with primary focus in both the inpatient and outpatient pharmacy service. This position is performed above the full performance level. Pharmacy technician is assigned to the automation specialized area as the subject matter expert.

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
• Education or Experience: 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: (1) Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) - as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
• OR (2) National Healthcareer Association (NHA) - as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)
• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician GS-08 (Above Full Performance Level)
• Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below
• Experience at the GS-07 grade level includes: 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
• Ability to assist advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participate in performance improvement initiatives
• 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
• Pharmacy Technician GS-08 (Above Full Performance Level) Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs 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.) 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
• 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 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: Automation (Automated Dispensing - Outpatient - Inpatient)
• Reference: VA HANDBOOK REFERENCE: PART II APPENDIX G28
• EFFECTIVE DATE: NOVEMBER 07 - 2023.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08
• Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion - involving standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time - typing - walking distances within the medical center - lifting/ carrying (up to 40 pounds) of pharmaceutical supplies - and bending/stooping/stretching.

Duties

• 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 Duties may include but are not limited to: Coordinates the technical aspects of pharmacy drug distribution activities to ensure standard operating procedures are in alignment with automation capabilities so that efficiencies are maximized
• Incumbent is instrumental in recommending changes to pharmacy management for the improvement of the workflow - work methods - and priorities involved within the drug distribution system
• Evaluates and analyzes workflow and coordinates all work activities involved with Pharmacy automation
• This will involve trouble shooting - regularly gathering data - analyzing - and interpreting VA data and formulating action plans
• Ensures that automated dispensing data is archived within established guidelines for each type of equipment
• Participates in process actions teams to improve automation quality and safety - continually seeking ways to improve the service provided to patients and other customers
• Resolves problems and complaints regarding all pharmacy and automated dispensing automation - troubleshoots problems with all automated dispensing equipment when production is compromised and alerts appropriate personnel
• Has oversight responsibility of the user files of all automated dispensing systems
• Has oversight responsibility for the addition of new items and deletion of obsolete items from all automated dispensing systems
• Ensures that equipment is cleaned and maintained to minimize downtime
• Trains and orients pharmacy staff - and other medical center staff involved in operating the automation
• Provides data for workload reports and process improvement projects to appropriate supervisors
• Thoroughly understands VA Pharmacy procurement and formulary and uses this knowledge to appropriately manage Pharmacy automation equipment
• Thoroughly understands investigational drug policies and procedures - if applicable - as they relate to Pharmacy automation equipment Thoroughly understands controlled substance policies and procedures - including controlled substance inspection process - discrepancies and resolution
• Attends regulatory meetings regarding all Automation and provides learned knowledge to the pharmacy staff
• Works with pharmacy informaticist on automation upgrades - new automation implementations - and other projects as deemed appropriate by the Chief of Pharmacy
• Other duties and tasks as assigned
• Work Schedule: Full time
• 8:00am - 4:30pm
• Varying tours based on the needs of the Medical Center
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer 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) Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 24020-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.