Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Fosters productive and cooperative working relationships by showing understanding, courtesy, tact, and politeness to others.
• Regularly cooperates with coworkers and others in meeting commitments and accomplishing assigned work on time.
• Assists other employees in the work unit in accomplishing assignments including supporting co-workers when work is done.
• Routinely displays courteous and tactful behavior. Projects a positive and professional image of Pharmacy Service.
• Responds constructively to feedback, seeking ways to improve. Consistently raises concerns in a constructive manner and offers potential solutions.
• Performance demonstrates efforts to improve patient satisfaction, and improve quality and timeliness.
• Provides courteous, cooperative, and timely service to patients, visitors, and staff, demonstrating good oral and written communication.
• Screens drug orders for accuracy and assist the pharmacist in solving potential drug related problems.
• Properly processes, fills and packages outpatient prescriptions for window and mail efficiently to achieve a twenty-minute window waiting time and two-day mail turnaround time.
• Fills window and mail prescriptions accurately.
• Distributes medication at the outpatient window after verifying two methods of identification of the patient/caregiver, providing special assistance to those with increased need.
• Correctly processes short stocked, partial supplies, mailed prescriptions and patient returns within stipulated time frames.
• Correctly processes and labels drugs, pre-pack items, bulk prescriptions per policy.
• Processes clinic orders, manages clinic stock inventory and fills clinic orders.
• Performs inventory replenishment, inspection maintenance and security control of crash carts, returning carts that have been serviced to the patient ready storage area.
• Maintains all pharmacy areas and equipment in a clean, neat, and organized fashion.
• Functions as first-line telephone contact for patients, providers, and/or the public. Addresses telephone requests in a timely and courteous fashion, processing, for example, refill requests, etc.
• Provides courteous, cooperative, and timely service to patients, visitors, and staff, demonstrating good oral and written communication. This includes identification of self and department, tact, self-control, patience, and discretion in dealing with the public, patients, fellow employees and management and projecting a positive image of Department of Veterans Affairs (i.e. customer service, good communication with co-workers and Veterans).
• Performs all other pharmacy duties as assigned.
• Has a thorough knowledge of the operation and basic daily maintenance and troubleshooting of all automated equipment in the pharmacy (e.g. ScriptPro, Q-matic).
• Knowledgeable about contingency plans and all policy and procedures regarding each automated machine.
• Technicians will notify Charge pharmacist when problems are encountered with all automated machines within the pharmacy.
• Correctly processes and labels drugs, pre-pack items, bulk supplies, etc. Properly operates all equipment in the assigned area(s) in an efficient manner.

Work Schedule: "Various Tours Including Days, Evenings, Weekends, AND Holidays on a rotating basis"
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
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• 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 Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel

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. A high school diploma or equivalent; or at least 3 months experience.

Grade Determinations:GS-05 Education or Experience: Successful completion of a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree that included at least 24 semester hours of courses related to pharmacy or pharmacy technology; successful completion of pertinent specialized training courses in pharmaceutical and pharmacy services while serving in the Armed Forces is creditable on a month-for-month basis up to the 1 year of experience required for the GS-5 level; or at least 1 year of experience at the next lower level that demonstrates the core competencies (KSAs) described at the GS-4 level:

• Ability to process and fill prescriptions under supervision;
• Ability to operate and maintain dispensing equipment;
• Ability to operate pharmacy information systems; Ability to maintain appropriate files;
• Ability to prepare sterile compounds under supervision.

In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
1. Ability to operate and care for automated dispensing devices and equipment.
2. Knowledge of, and ability to perform, aseptic technique.
3. Knowledge of basic inventory procedures.
4. Knowledge of pharmacy information systems.

References: VA Handbook 5005/15, Part II, Appendix G28The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-05.

Physical Requirements: Employees are typically expected to work forty hours per week. This may include nights, weekends and/or holidays as assigned. Principle duties require repetitive use of hands and fingers (e.g. use of a computer keyboard, opening/closing stock bottles, etc.). May require lifting and carrying light loads (up to 44lbs.), including boxes, equipment, unit dose-cassettes, and IV solutions; stooping or kneeling (e.g., to pick up items from the floor, remove and replace items on lower shelves, and to file documents in lower file drawers, etc.); sitting, walking, or standing for long periods of time (4-8 hours). Normal ranges of hearing and vision are required to perform work and communicate effectively; must have the visual ability to distinguish between basic colors and shades of color. An ability to perform tasks requiring rapid mental and muscular coordination functions simultaneously is necessary. Must be physically capable of operating various types of equipment used for the job.

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

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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

Pandemic Telework Program: Due to COVID-19, the VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. [Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable.] At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.

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.

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 .