Summary

The position and duties of this position are performed in the sterile product preparation suite and accompanying storage areas of the pharmacy section located within the VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6) - Pharmacy Service. The incumbent is a highly specialized technician - who - under the authority of the Compound Sterile Products (CSP) program manager or designee - and responsible for the preparation of sterile products handled by pharmacy.

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: 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: 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)
• 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-08 (1) Experience
• Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) 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 (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 the following KSAs for all GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment - if indicated: (a) 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
• (b) Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures
• (c) Ability to evaluate - analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy (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 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: (a) 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: Individuals with IV Compounding Experience - Specific to Chemotherapy Medications
• 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-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-8 Physical Requirements: See VA handbook

Duties

• VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Duties Include: Most duties will be performed in the intravenous (IV) cleanroom suite - setting up sterile products for dispensing - making appropriate record entries - reviewing IV administration records - and assisting inspectors - review teams - and other staff during routine inquires and inspections
• Expected to maintain a high degree of accurate productivity and performance while being extremely sensitive to specific contribution to total patient care
• Knowledgeable with VA policy and regulatory requirements for handling and checking in shipments of drugs and supplies - as well as verifying accuracy of shipments - rotating stock and assures the proper storage of all items
• Monitors physical inventory of stocked items - notifying procurement of quantities on hand and advises as to ordering trends - shortages - outdated medications etc
• Must be fully competent in all inpatient technician duties including processing - preparing - and filling of unit dose - sterile parental medications and solutions - maintenance of IV cleanroom and pharmacy satellites - operation of automated medication dispensing systems and general workflow of the inpatient pharmacy
• Depending on duty location assignment - incumbent is expected to be competent and capable to be complete tasks of lower graded inpatient or outpatient pharmacy technicians as needed
• The tour of duty for this position will be a rotating schedule as determined by the respective section supervisor - for the needs of Pharmacy Service
• Work Schedule: Monday- Friday - 8 Hours Shift - Based on needs of the service (days - afternoons - evenings - nights - weekends and holidays as needed)
• Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized