Lead Pharmacy Technician

Veterans Health Administration • Amarillo, TX

11d • Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Pharmacy Technician for Outpatient Pharmacy is an advanced technical expert who coordinates, oversees, and supports complex outpatient pharmacy operations. The position applies knowledge of DEA regulations, VA and VHA policies, automated dispensing technologies, outpatient workflows, and controlled-substance accountability. The incumbent also provides designated backup support for controlled-substance operations and serves as a subject matter expert and primary resource for outpatient pharmacy technicians, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and diversion prevention.

The Lead Technician provides day-to-day operational direction, monitors workload, assigns tasks, and helps keep automation, equipment, and inventory systems functional and optimized. The role supports prescription triaging and internal telephone or chat communications, directs inquiries to appropriate staff, and provides operational coverage for dispensing, prescription preparation, call-center logs, inventory management, automated dispensing cabinet stocking and restocking, and daily production.

The incumbent guides staff in the supervisor’s absence, trains and mentors technicians, identifies development needs, and contributes to service-wide quality improvement. The role promotes clear communication and collaboration across outpatient teams and performs quality assurance activities such as monthly inspections and inventories, medication-room audits, automation QA, and workflow checkpoints. During the Controlled Substances Technician’s absence, the incumbent provides coverage for controlled-substance dispensing, ADC restocking, medication-room inspections, quality control, training support, and other duties needed to maintain compliant operations across inpatient and outpatient environments.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, with a standard schedule of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and rotating schedules of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., or 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Rotating holidays are required. Telework is unavailable; this is not a virtual position.

Requirements

• At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-07 level, earned while holding an active CPhT or ExCPT certification.
• Active national pharmacy technician certification through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), or through the National Healthcareer Association (NHA) as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT), for positions above the full performance level.
• Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology, and policies in a specialized pharmacy area or section.
• Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy employees and students on policies and procedures.
• Ability to evaluate, analyze, and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized pharmacy area or section.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Rotating holiday work is required.
• Must meet the stated federal employment conditions, including background/security investigation, applicable drug testing, onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.

Nice To Haves

• VA experience.
• Experience with pharmacy automation, including ScriptPro and Pyxis.
• Experience working in an outpatient pharmacy environment.
• Leadership or management experience.
• Controlled-substance management experience.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate, oversee, and support complex outpatient pharmacy operations.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and primary resource for technicians in outpatient service areas, supporting compliance, accuracy, and diversion prevention.
• Provide day-to-day operational direction, monitor workload demands, and assign tasks to maintain efficient workflow.
• Keep automation, equipment, and inventory systems functional and optimized.
• Assist with prescription triaging and internal telephone or chat communications, and direct inquiries to appropriate staff.
• Provide operational coverage by dispensing medications, preparing prescriptions, covering call-center logs, managing inventory, stocking and restocking automated dispensing cabinets, and assisting with daily production.
• Guide and support staff in the supervisor’s absence.
• Train and mentor new and experienced technicians, identify developmental needs, and contribute to service-wide quality improvement initiatives.
• Facilitate clear and consistent communication, information sharing, and collaborative problem resolution across outpatient teams.
• Perform quality assurance activities, including monthly inspections and inventories, medication-room audits, automation QA tasks, and workflow quality checkpoints.
• Serve as backup for the Controlled Substances Technician during scheduled leave or unscheduled absences.
• During controlled-substance coverage, perform dispensing, ADC restocking, medication-room inspections, quality control, training support, and other necessary duties.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, comprising 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to family income and other eligibility limits; subsidy may cover up to 25% of eligible childcare costs, up to $416.66 monthly.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Eligible applicants may receive credit for prior work or military service when determining annual leave accrual, subject to prior request and approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed