Pharmacy Technician – Inpatient/Outpatient

Summary

Pharmacy Technician is assigned clinical duties and rotating through assignments in both inpatient and outpatient pharmacy. Responsibility for more complex functions within pharmacy service including inpatient medication preparation and distribution, sterile intravenous admixture preparation, automated equipment use and maintenance, filling of outpatient controlled substances in preparation for pharmacist verification, mail order reject assessment, and other complex duties

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Resolves pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
• Trains developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
• Dispenses medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
• Troubleshoots automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.
• Interprets, 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.
• Performs 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).
• Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution.
• Identifies basic therapeutic problems.
• 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.
• Participates in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy.
• Assists in quality improvement activities by participating in assessment and action teams that will improve service as assigned.
• Completes all National, VISN, local, and Pharmacy mandatory trainings in a timely manner.
• Follows USP 797/800 Guidelines for the compounding of all sterile preparations, hazardous, large & small volume IV solutions, PCAs, etc.
• Manufactures uncomplicated and/or complicated parenteral admixtures to be delivered in the form of large volume, small volume, infusion syringe or other as required.
• Interprets physician orders, selects, and measures appropriate ingredients, mixes ingredients in a safe and effective manner, inspects the final product for accuracy, suitability, and elegance, labels the product, maintains records of the manufacturing process, and supplies the product for pharmacist verification and delivery.
• Uses standard protocols to determine an accurate expiration date for each batch prepared.
• Work Schedule: 7:30am-4pm, Monday
• Friday; Various rotating day shifts Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May Be 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.
• 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 #: 59275A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

• You must be a U.S.
• Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
• Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the
• Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the
• Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Required Documents

• To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
• Professional Certification Resume Special Note for
• Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume
• This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
• Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
• The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
• Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former
• Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) Resume Other (2) Professional Certification Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript