Pharmacy Technician (ProcurementInventory)

VA Careers - Pharmacy: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties included but not limited to the following:

Administrative

• Continuously analyzes and reassess priorities to ensure workload demands are accomplished in the most effective efficient and economic manner.
• Effectively evaluates pharmacy activities to assist pharmacy managers in obtaining short- and long-range goals and objectives.
• Assists pharmacy manager in identifying areas of effort duplication and developing solutions to streamline processes reduce waste save costs and improve patient care.
• Reports potential and/or actual medication errors. Encourages pharmacy technicians to report actual and/or potential medication errors or adverse events.
• Assists in quality improvement by participating in service process assessments and action teams and by continually seeking to improve the service. vi. Knowledgeable in and ensures other procurement staff follow all department pharmacy service station level VISN National and VHA DEA policies and procedures.
• Demonstrates efforts to improve patient satisfaction lower cost and improve quality and timeliness.
• Works constructively as a team member assisting co-workers in tasks that support staff visitors and other customers in achieving service toward facility and network goals.
• Maintains continuous oversight on the security of pharmacy inventory and storage areas and reports to management any inconsistencies or concerns.
• Attends all procurement and pharmacy meetings as required.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 identification 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.

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.
• 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).
  • National Health career Association (NHA) Certified Pharmacy Technician(ExCPT).

• 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.

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 Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

AND

Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs:

• Expert knowledge serving as a key resource advising others in their particular specialty area or section of the pharmacy (such as procurement sterile compounding (USP compounding standards) controlled substances DEA automation clinical pharmacy lead tech contact center etc.).
• Skill in analyzing data for self-driven (independent) performance improvement projects workload analysis and statistical reports.
• Skill in solving problems and implementing corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program area.
• Ability to maintain special accreditations and prepare for national reviews/inspections (e.g. The Joint Commission Inspector General American Society of Health System Pharmacists controlled substance inspections).
• Ability to develop training programs and material for orientation competency development and educational needs for regulatory requirements within the specialized pharmacy program area.
• Knowledge of pharmaceutical and supply inventory requirements to ensure compliance with regulations and national/audit/inspections (e.g. financial regulations The Joint Commission Inspector General American Society of Health-System Pharmacists DEA USP 797/800 FDA 503A/B).
• Knowledge of clinical specifications characteristics and ordering processes of a wide variety of soft prosthetics and supply items (e.g. catheters colostomy ileostomy and urostomy supply and associated products) that technicians procure to dispense to Veterans in the outpatient pharmacy setting.
• Skill in managing specialized programs related to inventory including but not limited to specialty medications and supplies All Hazards Emergency Cache Program recalls reverse distribution and pharmaceutical waste.