Pharmacy Technician

VA Careers - Pharmacy: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

As a Pharmacy Technician you will work within Pharmacy Customer Care under the direct supervision of the Supervisory Contact Representative for Pharmacy Customer Care. The incumbent accepts case referrals and provides guidance and assistance to Pharmacy Customer Care Contact Representatives. The Pharmacy Technician is responsible for Tier 2 activities associated with clinical medication questions that require clinical communications with staff such as physicians nurses pharmacists and other members of the health care team. The incumbent must perform pharmacy related clinical calculations associated with interpretation of physician instructions quantities dispensed days supply availability of refills and related calculations to identify inaccuracies oversights and misinterpretations of medication information. The incumbent will answer escalated Veteran inquires involving a broad range of topics related to medication refills medication renewals medication tracking backordered medications medication recalls emergency refills medications not received or on hold. The incumbent gathers evaluates analyzes data and applies management and leadership principles in researching the accuracy of Veteran medication inquiries. The incumbent evaluates clinical information from patient records and provide written communication to providers using progress notes that become a permanent part of the Veterans patient record.

Work Schedule: This call center operates 24/7/365 and your shift will be anytime between Sunday through Saturday including nights weekends and holidays. Hours are TBD.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not 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)
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.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment full time employees with a total family income below $144000 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)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Remote: This is not a remote position.
Functional Statement #: 20681-A
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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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.

• 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.

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: Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Education or Experience:
  1. None required.
  2. 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:
  1. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) OR
  2. National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)
• Grade Determination for GS-08 Pharmacy Technician:In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements listed above you must meet the following:
• Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07) and demonstrate the KSAs below.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSA): In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. 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.) Note: See Specialized the Definitions Section of this qualifications standard.
  2. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures.
  3. Ability to evaluate analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy.
• 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).Grandfathering Provision: 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 certification 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.
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-08.Physical Requirements: Light lifting (under 15 lbs.); light carrying (under 15 lbs.); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (2 hours); standing (2 hours); ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13 to 16 to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing without aid. Work may be performed dry atmospheric conditions; constant noise; working closely with others.