Duties

Major duties include:

• Proactively monitors call volume and clinical care staff performance through ACD metrics to identify personnel that may require further development and determine where resources are needed.
• Professionally handles issues escalated from team members and follows guidelines to address the issues appropriately.
• Leads training and orientation of new staff
• Provides training and encouragement for team members not meeting organizational goals.
• Works collaboratively with VISN programs, services, and interdisciplinary coordinated care team members to provide access to care and meet the needs of Veterans, their family members and/or legal representatives via various available contact modalities to include but not limited to telephone calls, secure messaging, chat, text messaging and video regarding a broad range of topics, including medication refills/renewals, basic billing inquiries, and procedural pharmacy activities.
• Routinely reviews computer medication profiles for therapeutic duplication, prescription non- compliance and allergies/drug reactions. Transfers identified patients to a Pharmacist or supervisor, for further evaluation, if needed.
• Processes and submits patient requests for new prescription orders and renewals (including controlled substances) into the computer accurately, thoroughly and in a timely manner. Uses approved Pharmacy Service protocols when appropriate to satisfy patient medication requests.
• Actively and diligently treats all Veterans with respect and utmost dignity. Seeks to solve Veteran's concerns at first contact. When required, refers to other VA resources to assist in the resolution process. Always resolves all Veteran issues in a timely and caring manner with emphasis on providing first contact resolution
• Participates in continuous daily improvement and VISN CCC initiatives.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, various tours of duty between the hours of 7:00am-7:00pm. Future expansion of hours, to include evenings, weekends, and holidays, may be necessary to meet operational needs.
Location: This position is 100% telework, however candidate must reside within 60 miles of a VA Medical Center so they can report to site in the even of technology difficulties/outages as deemed necessary by management.
Compressed/Flexible:Not available
Telework: Available (full-time telework position)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
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

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Education or Experience: A high school diploma or equivalent or at least 3 months experience
• Certification: Must be Certified by the National Pharmacy Technician Board (PTCB)

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).

Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all Title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Some of these provisions may not apply to this occupation. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/ registration requirements that apply to this occupation. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that does not require a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted, or demoted within the occupation. Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Such 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 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. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements listed above, applicants at the GS-7 level must also meet the following requirements:
Experience. One year experience at the next lower level and must fully meet the KSAs at the next lower level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities and the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSA(s) designated by an asterisk (*):

*a) Ability to evaluate, analyze workflow, and coordinate work activities.
b) Ability to independently gather, evaluate, and analyze data to generate reports and/or for other projects/statistical purposes.
c) Knowledge of pharmacy policies and procedures sufficient to train and orient new employees and other staff
d) Comprehensive knowledge of the operation and care of specialized pharmaceutical equipment.
e) Comprehensive knowledge of the procurement and formulary process.
f) Comprehensive knowledge of investigational drug policies and procedures.
g) Comprehensive knowledge of controlled substance policies and procedures, and the ability to identify and investigate discrepancies in these policies and procedures.
h) Comprehensive knowledge of, and ability to, analyze data in VA information systems.

Creditable Experience - To be creditable, experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with the scope of pharmacy technician practice.

For Reference: GS-6 Assignment - Pharmacy technicians at the GS-6 grade level may be assigned to any area of the pharmacy including expanded distributive function assignments; for example assignment as team leaders for specific process improvement teams involving technical areas or performing more highly complex duties including preparation of oncology agents for clinical pharmacy specialists.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience leading a team of Pharmacy Technicians
• Knowledge of call center processes and procedures
• Strong customer service skills
• Experience responding to customer inquiries in a timely and helpful manner

References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II, Pharmacy Technician Qualification Standard, Appendix G28

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements: Fine manipulation to include keyboarding (8 hours), hearing (aid permitted), employee will be required to sit at a computer for long periods of time in order to complete the duties of the position.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

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 to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .