Job Information
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Pharmacy Technician - Clinical in Phoenix, Arizona
Summary The Clinical Pharmacy Technician is a certified pharmacy technician with the ability to support the clinical programs at the Phoenix VA Health Care System. The incumbent will provide administrative, clerical, and clinical support which serves in the inpatient, outpatient, and specialty clinics. Employee will have occasional travel (typically 2-3 times per month) using government vehicle to local CBOCs and clinics. Responsibilities The Clinical Pharmacy Technician will perform work with oversight by a clinical pharmacist, a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner (CPP) for the assigned program area, or other pharmacist while directly reporting to the designated supervisor. The clinical pharmacy technician successfully and consistently demonstrates the exercise of independent technical judgment (without the need for readily available supervision) as well as comprehensive and thorough working knowledge of the most complex or difficult practices and procedures. The incumbent will provide various technical support services within the pharmacy department in accordance with the mission, vision, and goals of the Pharmacy and the Medical Center. DUTIES All assigned clinical activities and function shall be completed in accordance with approved clinical pharmacy protocols or procedures. Assigned activities include but not limited to: A. Anticoagulation Clinic Support a. Reviews medication history, changes (including herbals, dietary supplements, and OTC's), adherence, and complications of therapy and report findings to CPP. b. Assesses patient compliance and attains renewals for Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs). c. Assist with scheduling future lab orders and follow up monitoring. d. Prints daily schedules and "no shows/lost to follow up" reports. Review both reports and patients' electronic health record (EHR) to identify patients overdue for monitoring. B. Medication Management a. Interviews patients, family members and/or caregivers, to develop an accurate list of medications, drug strengths, dosages, routes, and instructions the patient has been taking. b. Obtains relevant patient information from patient interviews, assisted living facilities (ALF's), and nursing homes using joint legacy viewer (JLV) with our Department of Defense (DOD) partners. c. Compares the compiled list with the active medication profile in the computerized medical record of the patient. d. Documents the compiled list in the electronic health record, noting any discrepancies or omissions within 24 hours of patient encounter. C. Clinical Pharmacy Team Support a. Contacts patients/caregivers to assess interest in clinical pharmacy services. b. Provides reminder phone calls to patients. c. Assists staff with scheduling and resolving issues. d. Educates patients to the use of video conferencing visits, My HealtheVet medication profile view and refill use, secure messaging and other technologies as needed. D. Vaccinations and Ward Stock a. Transport medications, vaccinations, and associated supplies to clinic area which may include transporting in a government vehicle for offsite locations. b. Restock pharmacy and clinic areas with necessary supplies for medication and/or vaccine preparation and administration. Work Schedule: Full-time, 80 hours per pay period . TBD based on operational need Telework: Yes - Position Suitable Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not 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 BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. Education or Experience: Applicants must have a high school diploma ore equivalent; or at least 3 months of experience. Certification: Applicants must be certified by the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must possess the following grade requirements. GS-8 Pharmacy Technician: Applicants must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and must fully meet the KSAs at the next lower level. (a) 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. (b) Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. (c) Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy. Assignment: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Pharmacy technicians at this grade level may be assigned as a supervisor; lead technician in a particular area of the pharmacy; a controlled substance technician; an investigational drug technician; a procurement/inventory management technician; a clinical pharmacy technician; or similar assignment with this level of complexity. The GS-8 level is for select, complex pharmacy technician positions, as established by the health care facility. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G28 - Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standards. 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 in dry atmospheric conditions; constant noise; working closely with others. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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.