Job Description
Summary
This Pharmacy Technician position is in Pharmacy Services at the VA White River Junction Healthcare System - located at the White River Junction - VT location.
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)
- 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
- Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician - GS-08 In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-08 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07)
- 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)
- Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
- In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: 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 Area.in the Definitions Section
- Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures
- Ability to evaluate - analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy
- 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 have a higher level of responsibility for specialized areas of pharmacy and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty
- Preferred Experience: Previous hospital pharmacy experience
- Retail pharmacy experience is acceptable
- Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit
- The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. Physical Requirements: Principal duties of this position require repetitive use of hands and fingers (e.g. - preparing prescriptions - use of a computer keyboard - etc.)
- May require lifting and carrying light loads (up to 44lbs.) - including boxes - equipment - medical supplies - stock boxes etc.
- stooping or kneeling (e.g. - to pick up items from the floor - remove and replace items on lower shelves - and to file documents in lower file drawers - etc.)
- sitting - walking - or standing for long periods of time (4-8 hours)
- Ability to operate automation
- Normal ranges of hearing and vision are required to perform work and communicate effectively
- An ability to perform tasks.
Duties
- VA Careers - Pharmacy: Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf The purpose of this position is to serve as a Pharmacy Technician preparing medications by counting - pouring - weighing - measuring - and mixing or compounding oral and intravenous medications
- The incumbent may also prepare medications for distribution to inpatient wards and clinics and outpatients for pickup and mailing
- The pharmacy technician works in collaboration with other pharmacy technicians and responds to requests of pharmacists and other pharmacy supervisory staff.Pharmacy Technicians at this level have a higher level of responsibility for specialized areas and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty
- Duties may include - but are not limited to: Specialize in areas such as IV's - sterile compounding - oncology - controlled substances - automated equipment - procurement/inventory - clinical - lead technician
- Maintain competence by participating in staff development programs and successfully completing annual competencies Support Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners (Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) - anticoagulation - pain - mental health)
- Serve as subject matter expert and key resource in day-to-day specialized Pharmacy Technician duties
- Manage workflow in specialized areas while maintaining pharmacy regulations and VHA compliance
- Provide training and resources for staff who are new to the team - and/or Pharmacy Technicians in lower grades
- Responsible for maintaining Pharmacy inventory and procurement needs - such as stock quantities - expiration dates - ordering - receiving - returns for credit
- Communicate with Veterans - their families - visitors - and all VA staff in a courteous - tactful - and respectful manner
- Work Schedule: Varying Day Shifts - may include day shifts on weekends and holidays
- 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)
- Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
- 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 $144 -000 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
- Functional Statement #: F06757 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
- Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service
- This position is a AFGE Bargaining Unit position
- This position is covered by a special rate
- Due to a critical staffing shortage - 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement
- Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action)
- The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted)
- In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held
- This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until 6-12-2025
- The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 3-24-2025 - with subsequent cut-off dates weekly
- Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.
Job Tags
Holiday work, Permanent employment, Full time, Work experience placement, Remote job, Shift work,