Pharmacy Technician(Procurement) - Lead

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: Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Certification: The employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: (a) PTCB as a CPhT. OR, (b) NHA as a ExCPT. A COPY OF YOUR CERTIFICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION. Assignment: Pharmacy technicians (procurement/inventory) at this level require independent technical judgement and expertise. They serve as the lead ordering officer for pharmacy service, providing guidance to lower-level procurement ordering officers. These individuals have extensive knowledge of VA policy concerning drug procurement, security and compliance with ordering officer requirements and regulatory areas (including, but not limited to, Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) per FDA regulations, recalls, return goods, open market, drug accountability, etc.). Pharmacy technicians maintain all records of pharmacy inventory for drug accountability, DSCSA per VHA policy and all other Federal regulations. Pharmacy technicians (procurement/inventory) perform a wide range of duties providing oversight on all pharmacy inventory to ensure standard operating procedures are followed and appropriate ordering and stock levels are maintained so patient care is not impaired. They stay within budgetary requirements, comply with contracts while maintaining inventory to meet or exceed the national average performance. They are accountable for pharmacy inventory management in areas such as regulatory and VHA formulary requirements, quality standards and official VA policies/procedures within the inventory management specialized area, conforming to pharmacy legal and professional requirements. In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements listed above, you must meet the following: GS-9 Pharmacy Technician Grade Determinations: Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-8). One year of experience as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA): GS-8 1. 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.) Note: See Specialized Area.in the Definitions Section. 2. Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. 3. Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following GS-9 KSAs: 1. Expert knowledge serving as a key resource advising others in their particular specialty area or section of the pharmacy (such as procurement, sterile compounding (USP compounding standards), controlled substances DEA, automation, clinical pharmacy, lead tech, contact center, etc.). 2. Skill in analyzing data for self-driven (independent) performance improvement projects, workload analysis and statistical reports. 3. Skill in solving problems and implementing corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program area. 4. Ability to maintain special accreditations and prepare for national reviews/inspections (e.g., The Joint Commission, Inspector General, American Society of Health System Pharmacists®, controlled substance inspections). 5. Ability to develop training programs and material for orientation, competency development and educational needs for regulatory requirements within the specialized pharmacy program area. 6. Knowledge of pharmaceutical and supply inventory requirements to ensure compliance with regulations and national/audit/inspections (e.g., financial regulations, The Joint Commission, Inspector General, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists®, DEA, USP 797/800, FDA 503A/B). 7. Knowledge of clinical specifications, characteristics and ordering processes of a wide variety of soft prosthetics and supply items (e.g., catheters, colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy supply and associated products) that technicians procure to dispense to Veterans in the outpatient pharmacy setting. 8. Skill in managing specialized programs related to inventory including, but not limited to, specialty medications and supplies, All Hazards Emergency Cache Program, recalls, reverse distribution and pharmaceutical waste. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 09. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is 09. Physical Requirements: Refence VA Directive and Handbook 5019