Summary The Clinical Pharmacy Technician functions in various areas of the pharmacy, under the supervision of the outpatient or inpatient pharmacy supervisor, depending upon the area of administrative assignment of the incumbent, or a registered pharmacist in the absence of a pharmacy supervisor. T he incumbent at this level has a higher level of responsibility to the pharmacy clinical program area and expected to carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty independently. Responsibilities VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Clinical Activities. All duties of the Clinical Pharmacy Technician will be performed under the direct supervision of the assigned Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. All clinical decision-making will be in accordance with the clinic protocol and will first be reviewed by the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. The Clinical Pharmacy Technician's responsibilities include: Reviews supply prior authorizations for pharmacy service. Collects all pertinent information reviewing chart. Will contact providers and/or patients to obtain proper information for review of prior authorization. Routinely obtains and reviews laboratory or medical information as assigned by the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist and reports all values beyond normal limits to the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for review. Make clinical assessments, document all clinical activities, update problem list and update medication allergy information in the medical record. Interview patients to ascertain significant medical & medication history/reconciliation. Evaluate medication regimens for appropriateness, drug interactions, therapeutic duplications, noncompliance, and adverse drug events. Enter other appropriate diagnostic test/procedures for Clinical Pharmacy Specialist. Make recommendations to medical staff and refer patient to appropriate services as needed for patient care. Participates in team and committee meetings as assigned. Review dashboards, answer phone calls, order labs under Pharmacists name. Computer Data Entry/Management. The Clinical Pharmacy Technician will be responsible for accurate and timely computer data entry. Vaccinations: Administers, prepares, documents, dispense and deliver vaccinations. Transports vaccinations and other supplies in a government vehicle Lift boxes, supplies, etc. Assists with vaccine inventory management and ordering of necessary supplies for vaccinations. Assist staff with scheduling appointments. Provides reminder phone calls to patients. Restock pharmacy and clinic areas with necessary supplies for vaccine preparation and administration. Trains pharmacy staff on vaccine preparation. Instruct nursing staff on inventory management, aseptic technique, and vaccine preparation. Anticoagulation Clinic Support: Perform Point of Care (POC) testing for INR. Access patient compliance and attain renewals for Direct Oral Anticoagulants (DOACs) Assist staff with scheduling appointments. Provides reminder phone calls to patients. Review dashboards, answer phone calls, order labs under Pharmacists name, mode details on anticoagulation. Pharmacy Automation: Oversees all operational aspects of the pharmacy automated dispensing equipment in the inpatient and outpatient areas of the pharmacy as well as throughout the facility and outpatient clinics. Patient Aligned Care Team Support Tech-Check-Tech (TCT) Program Medication Reconciliation Hospital Discharges Other pharmacy technician duties: Performs all the duties of a Pharmacy Technician at lower grades as assigned. Participates in quality assurance, process improvement activities, and performance monitors. Assists in other patient care areas as deemed necessary to maintain the consistency of overall pharmacy services. General Duties: Maintains PTCB and/or ExCPT Certification. An employee in this occupation who fails to obtain licensure / certification registration within the required time frame, or who fails to maintain the required licensure/certification registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly condition by assuring that all stock and equipment are in assigned places and all shelves and counters are free of dust and debris in order to create optimal work areas. Utilizes all automation available to the pharmacy staff according to the most current guidelines, following all safety and QA procedures. Reports automation malfunctions timely through appropriate channels (help desk, supervisor, ADPAC) as appropriate. Maintains the ability to drive a government vehicle for transportation of medications, supplies, and other pharmacy-related materials, as deemed necessary. The incumbent will provide training on clinical procedures to new staff as necessary. Assists other team members in various job-related duties and responsibilities as deemed necessary to maintain the consistency of overall pharmacy services. Work Schedule: 0600-1430. 0630-1500, 0730-1600, 0800-1630, 0900-1730 and 1130-2000, may include evenings /holidays/ weekends per the needs of the pharmacy department. Preferred Experience: Pharmacy Technician Certification with experience in inpatient and outpatient pharmacy 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. Certification. 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). OR National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). Proof of this certification must be provided with this application. 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. Certification. 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).OR National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). Proof of this certification must be provided with this application. 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). Grandfather Provision. A Pharmacy Technician employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (11/7/2023) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and certification 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: 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. (This position is above the full performance level) 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. 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. 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. 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. Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician - Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, you must possess at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07). -AND- In addition to meeting the experience for the GS-08 level, do you possess the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities? - 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.) - 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. For more information, refer to VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G28, Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standard, GS-0661-07. Preferred Experience: Pharmacy Technician Certification with experience in inpatient and outpatient pharmacy Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. This announcement is for a position that is above the full performance level. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service. 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.