Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Controlled Substance

VA Careers - Pharmacy: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPES OF PRACTICE
A. General Responsibilities:

• Accurately interpret fills and readies prescriptions with appropriate medications for pharmacist verification.
• Documents all controlled substance related transactions as indicated by VA and DEA guidelines.
• Assures that inventory counts are correct at the time of restocking.
• Ensures that proper handoff occurs when receiving or delivering controlled substances always assuring that these medications are never left unsecured.
• Reports unresolvable discrepancies to immediate area supervisor for resolution. Assist in investigating witnessing and resolving discrepancies.
• Inspects each dosage form dispensed for damage or discoloration and removes damaged or expired products from stock.
• Provides supervisor with name manufacturer lot number and expiration dates of all damaged or expired controlled substances needing to be adjusted in inventory including when newly opened sealed containers contain a greater or lesser quantity than noted on the package so that balance adjustment can be performed.
• Assists with securely packaging all damaged expired or returned controlled substances awaiting destruction.
• Complies with all laws regulations directives policies and procedures applying to the dispensing storage transfer inventory and accountability of controlled substances.
• Assists inspectors with the inventory and accountability inspections.
• Manages inventory of controlled substances and works closely with procurement staff to ensure adequate inventory levels of all controlled substance stock for dispensing and compounding including adequate on-hand amount of compounded sterile controlled substances.
• Maintains accurate inventories of all controlled substances as dispensed and ensures secure distribution of non-controlled items maintained in the vault.

• 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.
• 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.

• 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.

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.

Assignments: Pharmacy technicians in this assignment specialize in areas such as sterile compounding oncology controlled substances medication history review clinical specialist (anticoagulation pain infectious diseases) clinical informatics automation immunizations and any other specialized area in the advancement of the profession. The pharmacy technician will serve as a subject matter expert and key resource in the day-to-day technician duties of the specialized area. The technician will be performing assignments such as compounding sterile products filling controlled substance prescriptions while maintaining compliance with Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations taking medication histories and counseling patients managing automation managing workflow and training and orienting staff in the specialized area

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).

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements listed above you must meet the following:

GS-8 Pharmacy Technician Grade Determinations:

Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7). One year of experience as a Certified Pharmacy Technician.

Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSA):
GS-7
1. Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles practices concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
2. Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
3. Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team Veterans and external customers.
4. Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
5. Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
6. Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.
In addition the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
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 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-8.

Physical Requirements: Refence VA Directive and Handbook 5019