Pharmacy Technician(Clinical Technician)

This position is located within the Pharmacy service located at the Augusta VA Medical Center. The incumbent provides advanced clinical and technical support in the outpatient pharmacy, improving prescription processing, patient satisfaction, and medication access. Performs complex dispensing, refill processing, clinical reviews, and customer service functions under pharmacist oversight to enhance safe and efficient patient care.

Qualifications:

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:

(1) None required. (2) 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: 1) Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), OR 2) National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). 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).

Grade Determinations :

GS-08

Experience:

Candidates must possess one year of experience demonstrating the below GS-7

KSA's :

Ability to evaluate physician orders by reviewing for accuracy, completeness, and appropriateness. Knowledge of medication preparation requirements, including drug strengths, dosage forms, routes, and storage. Skill in using pharmacy automation and equipment (e.g., dispensing machines, packaging, bar-coding). Knowledge of pharmaceutical products sufficient to fill orders and identify potential dispensing issues. Ability to identify basic therapeutic problems (duplicate therapy, drug interactions) and alert pharmacists. Ability to perform technical tasks independently in areas such as unit dose, outpatient dispensing, compounding, and controlled substances Certification . For positions above the full performance level, 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. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for all GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated: Ability to evaluate medication orders for accuracy and completeness, including appropriateness for the patient. Advanced knowledge of drug products, dosage forms, hazards, and preparation/dispensing requirements. Skill in operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting automated dispensing systems and specialized equipment. Knowledge of hazardous drug handling, sterile/non-sterile compounding guidelines, and medication safety standards. Ability to conduct medication history interviews and document allergies/adverse reactions. Knowledge of pharmacy regulations, VHA policies, and compliance requirements, including controlled substances procedures. Ability to support pharmacists in clinical functions, perform advanced medication profile reviews, and document clinical findings.

Reference:

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ . The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08.

Physical Requirements:

The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time, typing, walking distances within the medical center, lifting/ carrying (up to 40 pounds) of pharmaceutical supplies, and bending/stooping/stretching.