Career Center

Summary

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information - refer to Required Documents below. The Pharmacy Technician - Automation is a certified - highly specialized technician who - under the supervision of the Pharmacy Supervisor - is responsible for the first-line management of all medication-related automation tasks handled by the pharmacy for the VA Western New York Healthcare System.

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
• English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• 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 (GS-07 and above): 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 Healthcareer 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)
• A Pharmacy Technician employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (11/7/2023) 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
• Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician - GS-08 In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-08 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07)
• 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)
• Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: 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.) 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
• Preferred Experience: Hospital Pharmacy Experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Employees are expected to work 40 hours per week
• This includes nights - weekends.and/or holidays as assigned
• Mandating to cover other shifts may occur resulting in exceeding a 40-hour week but compensated via overtime or compensatory time at the employee's discretion
• Work demands include standing - walking - stooping - kneeling - bending - twisting - repetitive use of hands and fingers - carrying light loads (up to 50 pounds) and pushing/pulling large/heavy carts
• Normal ranges of hearing and vision are required to perform work and communicate effectively - must have the visual ability to distinguish between basic colors and shades of color as well as small font (tablet imprints - expiration dates - lot numbers etc.) Work demands the ability to perform tasks requiring rapid mental and muscular coordination functions simultaneously if necessary
• Must be physically capable of operating various types of equipment used for the job
• Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions
• the area is adequately lighted - heated and ventilated
• The work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations
• Potential exists for exposure to infectious patients/materials and exposure to hazardous and/or toxic substances (chemotherapy - solvents - grease - oils - cleaning solutions - etc.)
• Potential exists for injuries from sharps (hypodermic needles - lancets - other sharp items)
• Potential for musculoskeletal fatigue due to prolonged standing - sitting or other activities.

Duties

• VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Pharmacy Technician-Automation is assigned to the automation specialized area as the subject matter expert
• The incumbent must have expert understanding of the complexity of the Automation program
• The incumbent has work leadership responsibility for the daily maintenance and oversight of all inpatient and outpatient pharmacy automated dispensing equipment at the local facility level
• The incumbent will consistently demonstrate independent technical judgement and comprehensive and thorough working knowledge of associated VA policies and procedures
• Mandated accountability and control of medications makes this a particularly sensitive position that is considered critical by all levels of management
• This position performs any duties or special projects deemed necessary by the Chief of Pharmacy - for proper operation of the Pharmacy Service
• This position requires thorough knowledge and understanding of federal - VA - and facility regulations regarding medication and pharmacy processes in general and involves performing complex procedures over a range of functions
• Duties of this position at the VA Western New York Healthcare System include - but are not limited to - all services involving storage - fill - dispense - transfer - inventory - administration - waste - or destruction of medications per Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Handbooks and Directives - as well as all Office of Inspector General (OIG) Directives and Health System Policy
• The incumbent is expected to assist inspectors - review teams - and other staff during routine inquires and inspections per Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Handbooks and Directives - as well as all Office of Inspector General (OIG) Directives and Health System Policy
• The incumbent must be highly organized and demonstrate a concerned and critical attitude toward accuracy - detail - control and loss management - and function with minimal supervision
• The incumbent is expected to maintain a high degree of accurate productivity and performance while being extremely sensitive to specific contribution to total patient care
• This position involves all aspects of automated equipment for medication management and accountability for dispensing to VA Western New York inpatients - CLC patients - clinic patients and/or ambulatory patients
• The incumbent must have technical knowledge of drug and medication brand names - generic names/chemical names - general and special storage requirements - expiration date requirements - manufacturer/distributor sources - dosage forms - applicable systems of weights and measures and medical terminology to interpret providers' orders and verify correct drug - dosage form - strength and dose is prepared and/or distributed
• working knowledge of drug use and dosage forms available to be able to screen drug orders for propriety and assist the pharmacist in solving potential drug related problems
• working knowledge of hospital computer system(s) - specifically the applicable VISTA and CPRS and Class-III software applications and processing options
• This includes - but is not limited to - BCMA - unit dose - outpatient prescription processing - ScriptPro® - SIM - MILT-4® (or comparable) packager - Pyxis (or comparable) automated dispensing machines
• The incumbent is expected to have working-knowledge of the operation - daily maintenance - and minor repair of equipment
• In addition to working in the automation assignment - the incumbent will be responsible for performing all other pharmacy technician duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Rotating tours including nights - weekends - and holidays Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 10323F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized