Summary The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center is in the active and thriving community of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, the "Gateway to the Ozarks." Poplar Bluff has a population of 17,000, and cost of living in the area is among the lowest in the country. We are within a two-hour drive of several large cities and have a small airport. The area is quite scenic and outdoor recreational opportunities abound in nearby national and state parks and forests. Come, join our team! Responsibilities Pharmacy Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Pharmacy-Technician-Career-Flyer.pdf MAJOR DUTIES Performs a wide variety of complex technical procedures and is involved in the activities of all areas of the pharmacy on a rotating basis. 1. Unit Dose Medication Management a. Performs final review of medication (prepared by another technician) to be dispensed to inpatient areas (unit dose carts), and/or fills unit dose carts independently without secondary review. b. Inventories and replenishes emergency carts without a second review. c. Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment such as the ATC Profiler, Laminar flow hoods, Pyxis control dispensing units, Doc U Med Cabinet, etc. ' d. Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non- sterile) without a second review. This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used. e. After orders are reviewed by a pharmacist for therapeutic propriety, the technician reviews orders for technical accuracy and converts the order, if necessary, so that the item dispensed corresponds to the drug and dose ordered. f. Performs final verification of simple, non-sterile compounds. g. 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. h. Assists in total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services. i. Processes missing dose requests generated from BCMA. Interprets orders, selects correct drug and enters drug and dose dispensed into VISTA. j. Responsible for the automatic replenishment of oral, injectable and other medications. k. Responsible for the ward stock replenishment of oral, injectable and other medications. I. Responsible for and to complete monthly ward inspections to ensure approved ward stock drugs are properly stored. m. Accurately prints BCMA labels and affixes to correct drugs. Work Schedule: Intermittent- Monday- Friday (Tour generally 0800-1630, occasional late nights or weekends) Functional Statement #: 00000 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 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: 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. Grandfathering Provision: 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). 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: (1) Pharmacy Technician, GS6 Education or Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level. (2) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of Federal and state laws related to pharmacy practice. (b) Knowledge of preparation, storage and distribution of medication products including those requiring special handling and documentation. (c) Ability to use pharmacy information systems or operate pharmacy dispensing equipment. (d) Knowledge of basic inventory procedures. (e) Ability to communicate with patients and staff and direct questions to appropriate personnel. (3) Assignments. Pharmacy technicians at the full performance level may fill orders, dispense/deliver medications using automated systems or provide technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs. Duties will include delivery of medications to floors/patients, filling medications for the pharmacist to review, checking for expired medications, answering phones with appropriate disposition, preparing sterile products (when applicable) and assisting with basic inventory management such as putting up stock and identifying when medications need to be ordered. Reference: VA HANDBOOK 5005/159 PART II APPENDIX G28 PHARMACY TECHNICIAN QUALIFICATION STANDARD November 07, 2023. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45lbs and over); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (3 hours per day); standing (8 hours per day); kneeling (2 hours per day); repeated bending (4 hours per day); both legs required; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; far vision correctable in one eye 20/20 and 20/40 in the other; ability to distinguish shades of colors; hearing (aid permitted). 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.