Summary

Pharmacy service is responsible for the first line management of all controlled substances handled by the pharmacy for the White City VA SORCC. Mandated accountability and control of scheduled drugs make this a particularly sensitive position that is considered critical by all levels of management. This position requires thorough knowledge and understanding of federal, VA, and facility regulations regarding controlled substances and pharmacy processes in general.

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: PTCB as a CPhT
• OR NHA as a 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)
• 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Pharmacy Technician, GS-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, 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
• 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: Controlled substance background
• 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

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 FUNCTIONS OR SCOPES OF PRACTICE: Ability to prepare, fill, and dispense controlled substance according to policies and procedures
• Conducts regularly scheduled inventories every 72 hours and daily if needed according to regulations and policies
• Assists the Controlled Substance Compliance Inspectors to complete the monthly inspections
• Effectively coordinates, manages, completes, and documents the purchasing of all prescription and non-prescription drug products and supplies by maintaining a comprehensive knowledge of the procurement and formulary process
• Maintains, verifies, stocks, and replaces outdated CS medications from stock - including inpatient wards, inpatient/outpatient storage cabinets, vaults
• Maintains accurate electronic inventory through decrementing prescriptions, entering received inventory, transferring to automated dispensing cabinets, dispensing on green sheets, and transferring to other dispensing vaults
• Follows policies and procedures for handling the destruction and return of controlled substance medication
• Works with pharmacy procurement personnel by providing information regarding medications and supplies needed from the warehouse or wholesaler based on items used
• Assists, reviews, and makes recommendation in inventory control of controlled substances
• Monitors, analyzes orders, and usage/distribution patterns for questionable circumstances or unusual trends
• Communicates potential problems to the Supervisory Pharmacy Technician and/or Associate Chief of Pharmacy, Operations
• Provides training for pharmacists, interns, technicians, inspectors, students, and others in controlled substance accountability procedures
• Prepares, operates, restocks, and maintains complex automated dispensing cabinets and all necessary equipment supporting pharmaceutical patient care functions
• Maintains file of hard copy of hand-written CII-V prescriptions
• Resolves inventory discrepancies immediately when discovered by reviewing reports and contacting appropriate persons when needed
• Reports discrepancies to pharmacy supervisor for follow up
• Ensures all controlled substances procedures abide by all local requirements, VISN, OIG and VHA handbook expectations and requirements, The Joint Commission (TJC) standards, VACO directives, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) requirements, appropriate inventory management practices, and other state and local requirements that apply
• Maintains security of controlled substances by controlling access to storage areas, and by ensuring that controlled substances are always kept in the locked, supervised area, specifically designated for controlled substance storage
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm 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 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized