Pharmacy Technician Procurement/Inventory

The certified pharmacy technician procurement/inventory at the GS-9 level will serve as lead and is responsible for assisting in the oversight for all prescription and nonprescription medications and supply purchasing and inventory in a highly complex area of Pharmacy Service at Salisbury VA Health Care System. This responsibility mandates compliance with all Veterans Heath Administration, Drug Enforcement Agency, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and all federal rules and regulations.

Qualifications:

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. None Required.
• 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).
• Certification. For positions above the full performance level, the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either:
  • Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). OR
  • National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)
• Grandfathering Provision. Pharmacy technicians employed in VHA on the effective date of this qualification standard 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:
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
• Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials.

Pharmacy Technician (Procurement/Inventory), GS-9

Pharmacy technicians (procurement/inventory) at this level require independent technical judgement and expertise. They serve as the lead ordering officer for pharmacy service, providing guidance to lower-level procurement ordering officers. These individuals have extensive knowledge of VA policy concerning drug procurement, security and compliance with ordering officer requirements and regulatory areas (including, but not limited to, Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) per FDA regulations, recalls, return goods, open market, drug accountability, etc.). Pharmacy technicians maintain all records of pharmacy inventory for drug accountability, DSCSA per VHA policy and all other Federal regulations. Pharmacy technicians (procurement/inventory) perform a wide range of duties providing oversight on all pharmacy inventory to ensure standard operating procedures are followed and appropriate ordering and stock levels are maintained so patient care is not impaired. They stay within budgetary requirements, comply with contracts while maintaining inventory to meet or exceed the national average performance. They are accountable for pharmacy inventory management in areas such as regulatory and VHA formulary requirements, quality standards and official VA policies/procedures within the inventory management specialized area, conforming to pharmacy legal and professional requirements.

Additional Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following:

(A) Knowledge of pharmaceutical and supply inventory requirements to ensure compliance with regulations and national/audit/inspections (e.g., financial regulations, The Joint Commission, Inspector General, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists®, DEA, USP 797/800, FDA 503A/B).(B) Knowledge of clinical specifications, characteristics and ordering processes of a wide variety of soft prosthetics and supply items (e.g., catheters, colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy supply and associated products) that technicians procure to dispense to Veterans in the outpatient pharmacy setting
(C) Skill in managing specialized programs related to inventory including, but not limited to, specialty medications and supplies, All Hazards Emergency Cache Program, recalls, reverse distribution and pharmaceutical waste

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/159 PART II APPENDIX G28

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, involving standing or sitting for prolonged periods of time, typing, walking distances within the medical center, lifting/carrying (up to 40 pounds) of pharmaceutical supplies, and bending/stooping/stretching.

Responsibilities:

Duties include but are not limited to:

Administrative:

• Continuously analyzes and reassess priorities to ensure workload demands are accomplished in the most effective, efficient, and economic manner.
• Effectively evaluates pharmacy activities to assist pharmacy managers in obtaining short- and long-range goals and objectives.
• Assists pharmacy manager in identifying areas of effort duplication and developing solutions to streamline processes, reduce waste, save costs, and improve patient care.
• Reports potential and/or actual medication errors. Encourages pharmacy technicians to report actual and/or potential medication errors or adverse events.
• Assists in quality improvement by participating in service process assessments and action teams and by continually seeking to improve the service.

Pharmaceutical Purchasing and Distribution:

• Serves as lead ordering officer for pharmacy service, delegated by the VA National Acquisition Center while maintaining annual training requirements.
• Initiates ordering requirements and provides guidance to ordering officers for pharmaceuticals, specialty, and supply items through pharmacy prime vendors multi complex accounts or other sources using various methods of payment. Responsible for adherence to federal contracts and compliance with federal regulations regarding open market, ensuring inventory control through perpetual evaluation.
• Provides oversight in determining ordering intervals and stock levels appropriate to meet changes in formulary, brand to AB rated generic drugs, contract changes, conversions, new drug indications including backorders and seasonal changes.
• Provides guidance on all types of pharmaceuticals including controlled and non-controlled drugs within established VA ordering guidelines, policies, and procedures within inventory management specialized area with the understanding of proper budget utilization.
• Knowledgeable of clinical specifications, characteristics and ordering processes of a wide variety of soft prosthetics and supply items (e.g., catheters, colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy supply and associated products) that technicians procure to dispense to Veterans in the outpatient pharmacy setting.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to the needs of the service.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required