Pharmacy Technician

Veterans Health Administration • Oklahoma City, OK

11d

About The Position

The Pharmacy Technician works in the OKC VA Healthcare System Pharmacy and assists pharmacists in providing optimal care and timely service. At this grade level, technicians are nationally certified and work autonomously using independent judgment across a full range of pharmacy duties. Technicians above the full-performance level may mentor and train lower-grade technicians.

The role includes prescription preparation and medication distribution; medication storage, inventory, and quality checks; non-sterile and sterile compounding; operation of automated dispensing and repackaging systems; and support for unit-dose, ward-stock, and automatic replenishment processes. The technician also answers medication-distribution questions, alerts pharmacists to potential basic therapeutic problems, and contributes to the training of pharmacy personnel and learners.

Work is performed primarily in inpatient pharmacy and outpatient care areas. The work environment may involve exposure to communicable diseases, drugs and chemicals, and, in some cases, hazardous or toxic agents such as antineoplastic drugs. Safety precautions are required. Work schedules may include various tours, including daytime and evening hours, with rotations on weekends and holidays.

Requirements

• For GS-7, one year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 level.
• Active national pharmacy technician certification for positions above the full-performance level: PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) or NHA ExCPT.
• Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts, and theories sufficient to perform sound independent work.
• Knowledge of computerized prescription processing and entry of prescriptions and medication orders, or an electronic equivalent.
• Ability to resolve pharmacy and medication issues with healthcare team members, Veterans, and external customers.
• Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
• Ability to dispense medications or sterile products in accordance with applicable regulations, policies, and procedures for safe distribution.
• Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment or technology platforms and databases.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship is required, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Must meet VA pre-employment conditions, including applicable background/security investigation, drug testing for testing-designated positions, onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.

Responsibilities

• Accurately interpret, fill, and prepare prescriptions with appropriate medications or medical supplies for pharmacist verification.
• Maintain clean and orderly work areas, with stock and equipment properly placed and shelves and counters free of dust and debris.
• Store and secure drugs and supplies according to USP and VA guidelines, including high-risk, look-alike/sound-alike, hazardous, controlled, corrosive, flammable, and refrigerated items.
• Receive, check, rotate, and stock items from pharmacy procurement; identify and reconcile discrepancies.
• Use automated dispensing equipment according to safety and quality-assurance procedures, report malfunctions, and record expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system upon receipt.
• Conduct monthly inspections of assigned areas to verify proper storage and remove expired drugs.
• Compound or reconstitute non-sterile oral or external medications, calculate and convert weights and measures, inspect and label products, keep manufacturing records, and obtain pharmacist verification.
• Manufacture pharmaceutical products in batches or for individual prescriptions; interpret orders, select and measure ingredients, mix safely, determine expiration dates using protocols, and operate equipment such as balances and mixing machines.
• Answer questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel about drug distribution.
• Identify basic therapeutic problems, such as duplicate therapy, and alert the pharmacist to possible clinical intervention.
• Assist with training and orientation of new technicians, interns, and students, and participate in the pharmacy training program.
• Follow USP 797/800 guidelines when compounding sterile preparations, including ophthalmic, cardioplegic, TPN, hazardous, IV, and PCA products.
• Manufacture parenteral admixtures, inspect them for accuracy and suitability, label them, maintain production records, and provide them for pharmacist verification and delivery.
• Review medications prepared by another pharmacy employee for dispensing to hospital areas.
• Inventory and replenish emergency trays; operate and maintain automated unit-dose dispensing systems; inspect packaged items and ensure repackaged dosage forms meet USP and VA labeling standards.
• Maintain repackaging records that meet regulatory and review standards.
• Inventory and assess floor stock and external medications; determine stock levels using policies, schedules, inventory levels, and usage reports; fill ward prescriptions using automatic replenishment reports.
• Inspect assigned hospital areas for medication storage, remove expired or deteriorated drugs from automated dispensing stations, and replenish shelves and unit-dose automated dispensing systems.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to the employee and family; specific eligibility depends on position type.
• Eligible selected applicants may request credit for prior work or military service toward annual leave accrual, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

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