Pharmacy Technician

VA Careers - Pharmacy: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties include but not limited to the following:

• Complies with all VHA Medical Center and pharmacy regulations directives policies and procedures. Knowledgeable on pharmacy production reports and how to interpret them for comparison to individual production.
• Reads and interprets prescriptions from the veteran electronic health record systems (EHRS) or in written format.
• Reviews prescription orders for technical accuracy.
• Prepares medications and ensures the orderable item matches the item being dispensed regarding drug strength quantity or appropriate supply item. Subject to a final check by a pharmacist.
• Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile). This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used subject to final check by a pharmacist. Maintains quality control records for extemporaneously compounded products.
• Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines including the storage of high-risk look a-like sound a-like hazardous controlled substances corrosive chemical flammable liquids and refrigerated items.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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.
• 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: A COPY OF YOUR CERTIFICATION MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION.
  1. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) OR
  2. National Health career Association (NHA) Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
• English Language Proficiency. Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

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: In addition to the basic requirements VA HR staff must use the following criteria to determine the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

Grandfathering Provision. A Pharmacy Technician employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (11/7/2023) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title series and grade held including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it the following provisions apply:

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.

GS-07 Pharmacy Technician

1. Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
2. National Healthcareer Association (NHA) Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)

Preferred Experience: Outpatient pharmacy Scriptpro experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS 7.

Physical Requirements: The work requires repetitive motion standing walking reaching stooping lifting heavy objects up to 50 pounds pushing heavy or bulky carts and at times may be physically demanding sometimes for extended periods of time.