Lead Pharmacy Technician

• 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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• 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).

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:

Lead Pharmacy Technician GS

Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below.

Certification: For positions above the full performance level (GS-06) the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:

• PTCB as a CPhT.

OR

• 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:

• 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 the Definitions Section.
• Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures.
• Ability to evaluate analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy.

Assignment: Lead pharmacy technicians perform duties independently which consist of significant scope and complexity and will assist with technician oversight. Lead pharmacy technicians lead three GS-07 or more pharmacy technicians/employees/staff members provide direction for daily operations and assume responsibility for integrating and monitoring standard pharmacy policies to maintain continuous workflow and quality within the service. Lead pharmacy technicians must do a combination of at least three of the following duties: prepare work schedules and assign tasks to ensure timely completion of duties; ensure pharmacy resources are in optimal working condition and address workflow needs; provide guidance and support of the work unit in supervisory absence; train personnel (including students) in methods procedures and use of equipment and instruments specific to the assigned area; provide input to supervisor on performance and training needs of employees; adjust work assignments due to absences emergencies or changes in priorities; resolve simple informal complaints of employees and patients refer more difficult problems to the supervisor; or recommend approval and/or disapproval of leave requests.

The lead technician will be able to perform all pharmacy technician duties as it relates to the outpatient pharmacy. Furthermore in addition to leading GS-07 technicians and students they will have knowledge skills and abilities to cover higher level functions as applicable to the particular outpatient pharmacy setting- this can include filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations taking medication histories and counseling patients triaging customer service issues/requests from call centers managing workflow basic inventory procurement processes and training and orienting staff in the pharmacy.

Preferred Experience:

• Licensed: Valid/active state Pharmacy Technician license.
• Pharmacy Technician Experience: The preferred candidate will have at least 3 years of pharmacy technician experience.
• Leadership or Supervisory Experience: The preferred candidate will have at least 1 year of lead or supervisory experience; including training and mentoring staff assessing and directing workflow.
• Software and Program Experience: The preferred candidate will have experience with VA software (e.g. Vista and CPRS) ScriptPro Microsoft Office.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit Requirements: Principal duties of this position require repetitive use of hands and fingers (e.g. preparing prescriptions use of a computer keyboard etc.). May require lifting and carrying light loads (up to 44lbs.) including boxes equipment medical supplies stock boxes etc.; 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). Ability to operate automation. Normal ranges of hearing and vision are required to perform work and communicate effectively. An ability to perform tasks.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.