Pharmacy Technician

Summary

The incumbent is a certified pharmacy technician who is efficient, motivated, focuses on customer satisfaction and, who, under the authority of the VISN Clinical Contact Center Pharmacy Director, or designee, is responsible for the technical management of all patient care assistance activities regarding pharmacy services in the Clinical Contact Center.

Duties

Announcement will close once 100 applicants is reached Major duties include, but are not limited to: Medication Management: Works collaboratively with VISN programs, services, and interdisciplinary team members to provide access to care and meet the need of Veterans, their family members and/or legal representatives via various available contact modalities to include, but not limited to, telephone calls, secure messaging, chat, text messaging, and video regarding a broad range of topics including medication refills and renewals, basic billing inquiries, and procedural pharmacy activities. Routinely reviews computer medication profiles for therapeutic duplication, prescription non-compliance, allergies, and drug interactions. Seeks assistance with identified individuals from a Clinical Pharmacist or supervisor for further evaluation, if needed. Processes and submits patient requests for new prescription orders and renewal requests, including controlled substances, into the computer accurately, thoroughly, and in a timely manner. Uses approved VISN Clinical Contact Center Pharmacy protocols when appropriate to satisfy patient medication requests. Consistently documents patient contact and resolution in VISN Clinical Contact Center software and/or the Electronic Health Record (EHR) to include, but not limited to, what was requested, what action was taken, and any other information which may be pertinent during future research. Assists in the documentation of medication variances. Assists in training for lower graded technicians and technician students. Assists in the completion of workload for other VISN Clinical Contact Center Pharmacy Services in the event of natural disasters, low staffing, or other contingency needs. Performs all duties of lower graded technicians, if required. General Duties: Actively and diligently treats all Veterans with respect and utmost dignity. Seeks to solve Veteran's concerns at first contact. When required, refers to other VA resources to assist in the resolution process. Always resolves all Veteran issues in a timely and caring manner with emphasis on providing first contact resolution. Seeks assistance from designated Lead Technician, a pharmacist or supervisor when responding to unusual questions or when reasonable attempts to satisfy a caller have been unsuccessful. Follows applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files. Ensures Electronic Health Record (EHR) access to all sites serviced are maintained. Participates in continuous daily improvement and VISN VA Health Connect initiatives. Maintains National Pharmacy Technician Certification. Completes additional duties as assigned. Work Schedule: To be determined. Work schedule will be discussed during interview. Functional Statement #: 99329-S Remote: This position is authorized to work remotely. However, this authorization is contingent on yearly approval from the Secretary of the VA. If approval is denied, the candidate will be required to work from a VA owned or leased space. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements

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

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 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). English Language Proficiency: Pharmacy technicians appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Grandfathering Provision: 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). Pharmacy Technician, GS-07 Grade Determination: Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-06) grade level. Equivalent experience includes, but is not limited to: filling orders, dispensing/delivering medications using automated systems and providing technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs, delivering of medications to floors/patients, filling medications for the pharmacist to review, checking for expired medications, answering phones with appropriate disposition, preparing sterile products (when applicable) and assisting with basic inventory management such as putting up stock and identifying when medications need to be ordered. AND Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In Addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: 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.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. How You Will Be Evaluated

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. Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order: Current permanent VA employees of the VISN 23 Clinical Contact Center. All other VA employees. 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. Other Information

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.