Pharmacy Technician (Outpatient)

Description:

This position is in Pharmacy Service, Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, (VAMC Memphis) Memphis, TN. This position provides pharmacy technician support to the facility and healthcare team.

Requirements:

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

Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).

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).

Education or Experience:

• None required.
• 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:

• Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

OR,

• National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

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.

In addition to the basic requirements, the below qualification requirements must be met at the grade in which you are applying.

Experience. For the GS-7, Pharmacy Technician must possess one year experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
• Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
• Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
• Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
• Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
• Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.

Preferred Experience: VA employment, Lead pharmacy technician experience.

References: VA Handbook 5005/159, Part II, Appendix G28, dated November 7, 2023.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of the GS-7.

Physical Requirements: The work involves considerable walking, bending, standing and stooping. Packages lifted occasionally weigh up to 40 pounds. Dexterity is required for the operation of Pharmacy equipment.