General Description of Assigned Duties Pharmacy Technicians may be assigned to any area of the pharmacy including expanded distributive function assignments in inpatient pharmacy, outpatient pharmacy, medication and fluid storage areas, offices and patient care areas. Pharmacy technicians provide various technical support services within the pharmacy department. This position involves providing services related to inpatients and/or ambulatory patients. 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. A high school diploma or equivalent; or at least 3 months experience. English Language Proficiency. Pharmacy technicians appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grade Determinations. GS-5 Pharmacy Technician In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met for this position. Education or Experience. Successful completion of a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree that included at least 24 semester hours of courses related to pharmacy or pharmacy technology; successful completion of pertinent specialized training courses in pharmaceutical and pharmacy services while serving in the Armed Forces is creditable on a month-for-month basis up to the 1 year of experience required for the GS-5 level; OR at least 1 year of experience at the next lower level that demonstrates the core competencies (KSAs) described at the GS-4 level. GS-4 KSAs: (1) Ability to process and fill prescriptions under supervision; (2) Ability to operate and maintain dispensing equipment; (3) Ability to operate pharmacy information systems; (4) Ability to maintain appropriate files. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs at the GS-5 level: 1. Ability to evaluate, analyze workflow, and coordinate work activities. - Ability to independently gather, evaluate, and analyze data to generate reports and/or for other projects/statistical purposes. Knowledge of pharmacy policies and procedures sufficient to train and orient new employees and other staff. Comprehensive knowledge of the operation and care of specialized pharmaceutical equipment. Comprehensive knowledge of the procurement and formulary process. Comprehensive knowledge of investigational drug policies and procedures. Comprehensive knowledge of controlled substance policies and procedures, and the ability to identify and investigate discrepancies in these policies and procedures. Comprehensive knowledge of, and ability to, analyze data in VA information systems. References: VA Handbook 5005/15 Part II, Appendix G28 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 lbs) 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. ["Distributive:\nA. Fills medication orders by selecting the correct drug and dosage form, reducing the drug from bulk to the quantity prescribed, compounding when necessary, then packaging and labeling the drug in an\nappropriate manner.\nB. Responsible for the dispensing of drugs, that proper and complete recordkeeping is maintained, and that the drug storage areas are stocked, safe, and secure.\nC. Responsible for providing care in inpatient or other areas as required to meet patient care needs and to\nmaintain competence in those areas of pharmacy practice.\nD. Accurately completes all assignments in a timely manner with independence and minimal guidance,\npersonally setting the deadlines for work completion as defined by immediate supervisor or other member\nof the Pharmacy Management Team. He or she assumes responsibility in work assignments in\naccordance with regulations Technical Support\nE. processing and filling outpatient prescriptions for scheduled and non-scheduled federal legend drugs and medical devices, over-the-counter products and supply items\nF. inpatient preparation and distribution of unit dose medications and ward stock items including hazardous\nmedications\nG. stock management; operation, maintenance, re-stocking and troubleshooting of automated dispensing\nequipment\nH. patient and customer relations; and preparation and maintenance of various logs, records and reports.\nI. The incumbent may be required to perform some or all of the functions, however the relative percentages of time spent performing each specific function varies with the area of administrative assignment. Education:\nJ. Assists in the orientation and training of new pharmacy staff/students related to the operations of the\npharmacy.\nK. Functions as a consultant to the medical staff on pharmacy related operations via effective written and\noral communication.\nL. Checks, guides, and advises lower-grade co-workers and trainees on the receipt, interpretation,\ncompounding, and filling of medication orders.\nM. Coordinates and resolves problems associated with medication distribution. Quality Assurance and Improvement:\nN. Participates in the DUE/MUE process by assisting in; determination of problem areas, criteria\ndevelopment, analysis and follow-up as deemed appropriate; e.g., education, review, etc.\nO. Documents all patient-centered workload according to current VISN2 Pharmacy guidelines.\nP. Analyzes data and completes reports, including ward inspections and chart reviews, according to\nestablished policy Work Schedule: Day shift with rotations to nights & weekends\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]