Government and Policy, Healthcare, Other, Healthcare, Practitioner and Technician
Job Description
Pharmacy Technician - Outpatient Rotational
Qualifications
All requirements must be met at the time of the announcement closing.
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)
OR National Healthcareer 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
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)
Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06) 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-07 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated: 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
Preferred Experience: Certified Technician - CPhT, previous pharmacy experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.1.You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
