Summary

The VA St. Louis Healthcare System is seeking a pharmacy technician to service operating rooms - anesthesiology - and oncology. This pharmacy technician is responsible for assisting in all aspects of daily OR pharmacy operations to ensure optimal medication safety and effectiveness for areas utilizing surgical and anesthesia services and supporting the Oncology Pharmacy when needed.

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
• 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) as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) -OR - National Healthcareer Association (NHA) as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)
• 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)
• 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)
• Grade Determinations Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below
• Certification: For positions above the full performance level - the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: (a) PTCB as a CPhT
• OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT
• Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for all GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment - if indicated: 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
• Pharmacy technicians at this grade level may be appointed to one of the following assignments: Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding - oncology - controlled substances - medication history review - clinical specialist (anticoagulation - pain - infectious diseases) - clinical informatics - automation - immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession
• The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area
• The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products - filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations - taking medication histories and counseling patients - managing automation - managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area
• Preferred Experience: Previous operating room and/or oncology experience is preferred
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-8. Physical Requirements: none

Duties

• Major Duties Performed: Ensures appropriate drug distribution
• Performs pharmacy distributive functions in accordance with policy
• Maintains - verifies - stocks - and replaces outdated pharmaceuticals and compounded products in OR and Oncology automated dispensing cabinets
• Accurately fills and/or compounds prescriptions - IV admixtures/sterile products - hazardous medication - and hyperalimentation
• Collaborates with controlled substance vault technician in supervising and stocking controlled substances to operating room areas
• Maintains ability to prepare and analyze data for the preparation of reports and development of factual information for support of pharmacy programs
• Reports or takes appropriate action to correct safety hazards anywhere in the medical center
• Work Schedule: Full-Time - Monday-Friday - 0500-1330 or 0830-1700 Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized