Pharmacy Technician

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties of the Pharmacy Technician include but are not limited to:

• Receives telephone calls from Veterans through the automated call distribution system
• Answers Veteran inquiries related to process questions.
• Refers clinical and other judgmental questions to the PCC supervising pharmacist as necessary.
• Uses the highest level of customer service at all times to provide patient education via telephone on the medication refill process.
• Independently inputs refill prescriptions into VistA/CPRS computer systems.
• Interacts with Veterans or their representatives to assure medication profiles are updated.
• Accurately fills prescriptions orders.
• Documents all Veteran interactions using progress notes and other reports as needed.

• 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.

• 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.

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: (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 Health career Association (NHA) Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).

• (1) Employees may be reassigned promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• (2) Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
• (3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• (4) Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
• (5) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

• (a) Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles practices concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
• (b) Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
• (c) Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team Veterans and external customers.
• (d) Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
• (e) Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
• (f) Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.