Summary A RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE MAY BE AUTHORIZED FOR A HIGHLY QUALIFIED CANDIDATE The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health. As an employee, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to: Reads and interprets prescriptions, obtains proper medication or material in the proper strength and dosage form; determines proper amount and counts, pours, or measures the medications; affixes proper label; and records required data on Pharmacy's paper or electronic copy of prescription/order. Prepares compounded sterile preparations inclusive of chemotherapy, IV additive solutions, and performs bulk compounding. After a final check by a pharmacist, dispenses medication in ambulatory care or discharge situations. Delivers medications to patient areas following established procedures and maintains the medications in a secure manner during the delivery process. Repackages medications for use in outpatient or inpatient pharmacy following established procedures and maintains all required documentation. Assists with inventory management and ordering of medicines. Collects drug use evaluation data for quality improvement purposes as required. Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment After prescription/order(s) are reviewed by a pharmacist for therapeutic propriety, reviews orders for technical accuracy and converts the order, if necessary, so that the item dispensed corresponds to the drug and dose ordered. Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution. Identifies basic therapeutic problems such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention. Work Schedule: Rotating shifts, weekends and holidays. Shifts include 7:30 am-4:00 pm, 8:00 am-4:30 pm, 9:30 am-6:00 pm, 4:00 pm-12:00 am (midnight). Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Recruitment Incentive: Authorized to highly qualified candidate (a 2 year service agreement is required) Requirements 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. 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). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/30/2024. Pharmacy Technician 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: (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). Grandfathering Provision: Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration 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: (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) 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. (4) 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. (5) 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. 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. 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). References: VA Handbook 5005/15, Part II, Appendix G28 Grade Requirements Creditable Experience: To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with the scope of pharmacy technician practice. Quality of Experience: To be creditable, pharmacy technician experience must be documented on the application and verified in an employment reference, or through other independent means. Part-time Experience: Part-time experience as a pharmacy technician is credited according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a pharmacy technician would receive 1 week of fulltime credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-5 (developmental level): Education or Experience. (a) Successful completion of four years post-secondary education with courses related to pharmacy (e.g., 48 semester hours of science, mathematics, pharmacy) or a bachelor's degree. OR (b) An associate's degree in pharmacy technician or technology (48 semester hours of concentrated pharmacy technician training). OR (c) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. AND GS-05 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of basic pharmacy operations. Knowledge of pharmaceuticals to perform duties in pharmacy functional areas. Knowledge of pharmaceutical nomenclature (including generic, chemical and proprietary names of drug). Ability to fill prescriptions. Ability to use pharmacy information systems or basic pharmacy dispensing equipment with oversight. AND GS-6 (full performance level): One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level. AND GS-06 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of Federal and state laws related to pharmacy practice. Knowledge of preparation, storage and distribution of medication products including those requiring special handling and documentation. Ability to use pharmacy information systems or operate pharmacy dispensing equipment. Knowledge of basic inventory procedures. Ability to communicate with patients and staff and direct questions to appropriate personnel. Physical Requirements: The work requires physical exertion such as reaching, standing, walking short and long distance, and climbing to obtain product from moderately high shelving. Occasionally may need to lift up to 40 pounds. The majority of work requires extended periods of standing with short periods of sitting to complete tasks. The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical in a pharmacy setting. Employees may be required to use personal protective equipment such as masks, gowns, goggles, gloves, and shoe covers and hair covers to minimize risks. 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 IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information ALTHOUGH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT REMAINS OPEN UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30, 2024, WE WILL BEGIN SCREENING APPLICANTS ON FEBRUARY 29, 2024. WE WILL DO SUBSEQUENT SCREENINGS UP UNTIL THE ANNOUNCEMENT CLOSES AS NEW VACANCIES BECOME AVAILABLE. 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 to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.