Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to the public and includes all U.S. Citizens and other current permanent Federal employees of other agencies. VA employees should apply to announcement CBSY- 13003918 -26-MI. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The incumbent is responsible for delivering excellent customer service and will use appropriate judgment and skills to complete technical functions. This role provides cross coverage in multiple areas.

FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION:
Primary duties include, but are not limited to:

• Maintains competence in all operational aspects of outpatient pharmacy distribution services and assists with the dispensing and distribution functions of technician staff in the central outpatient pharmacy area and remains proficient in each role.
• Provides cross-coverage for the Lead Controlled Substance Technician. Fills controlled substance prescriptions, completes record keeping and maintains accuracy of inventory. Reports any unusual occurrence or confirmed prescription or filling discrepancy to a supervisor.
• Assists with technical functions that support Outpatient Clinical Pharmacists
• Performs various report processing, handles CMOP rejects and other CMOP-related problems including but not limited to: Internet Refills Not Processed, Bad Address Rejects, Canceling/Stopping CMOP orders, and other duties as assigned.
• Demonstrates the ability to troubleshoot when automated equipment malfunctions. Requests service and assistance from the supporting vendor.
• Assists with restocking medications and conducts regular physical inventory of medications/supplies to ensure necessary stock levels are maintained. Communicates with procurement staff regarding any identified issues.
• Works and communicates effectively with others while remaining courteous, tactful, and understanding when interacting with others, even in potentially difficult/volatile situations.
• Assists the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor in the implementation of all Pharmacy Service policies and procedures while assuring compliance with applicable standards (for example, Drug Enforcement Administration, Joint Commission, Office of the Inspector General, etc.) and VA handbooks and directives.
• Assists the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor with all necessary pharmacy technician orientation and training occurs associated with the central outpatient pharmacy area.
• Ensures all equipment (e.g., dispensing automation, mailing equipment, etc.) is operated in accordance with safe and effective operating procedure and routine preventative maintenance is performed where appropriate. Serves as a point of contact for trouble-shooting equipment issues as they arise.
• Reports actual and/or potential medication errors and adverse events utilizing the facility's reporting systems. Participates in quality improvement initiatives to promote patient safety.
• Effectively organizes workload to complete work within the assigned shift. Solves problems independently whenever possible, working with co-workers and other health care professionals. Discusses ongoing issues in a positive and constructive manner, utilizing continuous improvement techniques.
• Assists in developing departmental goals and is an active advocate and catalyst for achievement of departmental and agency goals.
• Assists in the implementation of contingency plans (i.e., computer or power outages) and communicates effectively with pharmacy personnel and other departments.
• Participates in quality initiatives where required to improve the quality of care delivered to veterans, ensure patient safety, and identify areas for additional education and/or process improvement
• Collects data related to the dispensing operation in coordination with outpatient pharmacy management. Compiles reports related to compliance initiatives where required.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Rotational shift Monday-Friday, weekends and holidays
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Conditions of employment

• 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 identification 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 Federal service.

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.

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).

Grade Determinations:

Pharmacy Technician, GS-07:

• Experience. 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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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 Document. 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)
• **Highly Recommended** Write to the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) on a separate document - KSAs are found under qualification/grade requirements in the announcement.
• Resume/CV exceeding two-pages
• PCS Orders
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: FY 2026 VHA SHORTAGE OCCUPATIONS APPROVED FOR WAIVER OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE: Pharmacy Technician, 0661

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