Career Center

Summary

This announcement is for 5 - GS-7 Certified Pharmacy Technicians - located at the VA New Jersey Healthcare System. The Pharmacy Technician will perform duties as assigned at the East Orange - NJ location and will rotate through inpatient and outpatient areas. The VANJHS is an integrated level 1C system comprising of two - comprehensive healthcare facilities in East Orange and Lyons - and eleven Community Based Outpatient Clinics located throughout the state.

Qualifications

**This is an open continuous announcement and applicants will be referred weekly.** The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be February 19 - 2025 with subsequent referral of eligible applications each Wednesday until the closing date of the announcement. 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:

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States
• Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a)
• Education or Experience: (1) None required
• (2) 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) OR National Health career Association (NHA) - Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT) Grandfathering Provision: Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: Employees may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• Foreign Education: To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials
• 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
• 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) Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience listed - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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
• 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 are nationally certified and can work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties
• These pharmacy technicians mentor and train lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting
• They assist advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participate in performance improvement initiatives
• At this level - pharmacy technicians use independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy
• They also function as staff pharmacy technicians in various locations of the pharmacy - including pharmacy contact centers and other non-traditional pharmacy locations - with minimal oversight
• 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-07.

Duties

• Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf Pharmacy technicians at this grade level are nationally certified by PTCB or ExCPT and can work autonomously - using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties
• Pharmacy technicians above the full performance level can mentor and train lower grade technicians in the practice setting
• The employee will assist the pharmacist in providing optimal care and timely service in accordance with the mission - vision - and goals of the VA New Jersey Health Care System and Pharmacy
• The incumbent is expected to accomplish all duties related to stocking - delivering - inventory - inspections - assembling ward orders - prescription assembly - controlled substances distribution - sterile compounding (including hazardous drugs) - unit-dose drug packaging - dispensing - distribution - and any other function related to pharmaceutical practices
• The incumbent performs all duties under the supervision and is expected to acquire and maintain a high degree of accurate productivity and performance
• Duties include but are not limited to the following: Accurately interpret - fills - and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification
• Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly condition by assuring that all stock and equipment are in assigned places and all shelves and counters are free of dust and debris in order to create optimal work areas
• Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines - including the storage of high-risk - look a-like sound a like - hazardous - controlled substances - corrosive chemical - flammable liquids - and refrigerated items
• Receives - checks - rotates - and places in stock all items received from pharmacy
• procurement section and identifies and reconciles any discrepancies to assure correct items have been received
• Utilizes automation dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff following all safety and QA procedures
• Reports automation malfunctions timely the supervisor as appropriate
• Records expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system upon receipt
• Perform monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed
• Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements
• Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile)
• This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used for final pharmacist verification
• Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution
• Identifies basic therapeutic problems - such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention
• Assists in training and orientation of new staff technicians - interns - and students
• Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program consisting of students - externs - interns - residents - and professional and non-professional staff members
• Demonstrates the ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality
• Performs duties of all lower grade technicians as needed
• Participate in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy
• Assists in quality improvement activities by participating in assessment and action teams that will improve service as assigned
• Assists higher level technicians as needed
• Completes all National - VISN - local - and Pharmacy mandatory trainings in a timely manner
• Maintains national certification with PTCB or ExCPT
• Complies with all VHA - Medical Center - and Pharmacy regulations - directives - policies - and procedure
• May be assigned to work in other areas of pharmacy service as deemed necessary by the Chief - Pharmacy Service or Supervisor
• Controlled Substances Activities - These functions will be supported in the absence of the controlled substance technician (i.e. - after hours - weekends - and leave)
• Inpatient Pharmacy Activities including sterile product compounding - unit does medication management - automatic replenishment/ward stock
• Outpatient Pharmacy Activities including prescription assembly - window pick-up - mail packaging
• Other duties as required and/or assigned
• Preferred Experience: Sterile and/or HD compounding experience preferred
• Work Schedule: Variable
• rotating shifts
• (The tour of duty for this position will be a rotating schedule through Inpatient and Outpatient Pharmacies - as determined by the service supervisors - for the needs of Pharmacy Service.) Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 10692F