The Lead Pharmacy Technician is responsible for the guidance, training, and technical direction of all pharmacy technicians, residents, students, and volunteers within the Outpatient Pharmacy setting. Incumbent evaluates and coordinates the workflow and technical aspects of the Outpatient Pharmacy operations. The incumbent may be responsible for personnel scheduling, time-and-attendance processing, and quality assurance activities as assigned.
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: None required. 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 Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). English Language Proficiency. 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). Creditable Experience. To be creditable, a candidate must possess the required knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the scope of pharmacy technician practice. The candidate's experience must be evidenced by active professional practice. (Active professional practice means paid/non-paid employment as a professional pharmacy technician.) General Experience. (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists or hospital training obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces or the U.S. Maritime Service under close medical and professional supervision is creditable on a month-for-month basis for general experience. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time work week. For example, one week of full-time credit is equivalent to two weeks of half-time work. Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to pharmacy technician experience at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Specialized Experience. Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of the position and is typically in, or related to, the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Applicants who have one year of appropriate specialized experience are not required to have general experience, education above the high school level or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements. Successful completion of pertinent specialized training courses in pharmaceutical and pharmacy practices while serving in the Armed Forces is creditable on a month-for-month basis up to the one year of specialized experience. Grade Determination: GS-08 Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below. 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) PTCB as a CPhT. OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for all GS-08 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated: (a) Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, principles, methodology and policies in a specialized area or section of pharmacy (such as sterile compounding, controlled substances, automation, clinical pharmacy, contact center, etc.) Note: See Specialized Area.in the Definitions Section. (b) Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. (c) Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow and work activities within a specialized area or section of the pharmacy. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08. 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. Position requires the ability to read fine print on labels, depth perceptions, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid permitted), clear speech, and emotional stability.
Major duties include, but are not limited to: Assists the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor in quality improvement activities by participating in Medical Center and service process improvement workgroups and continually seeks to improve services. Assess workload volume throughout the day, identify backlogs, and make staffing adjustments as needed to meet organizational goals. Identify areas of duplication of efforts and develop solutions to streamline processes, reduce waste, cost savings, and improve patient care. Responsible for organizing and assisting the pharmacy technician team to ensure assigned tasks are timely and accurately completed for their program area. Coordinate day-to-day maintenance and operation of pharmacy area equipment and automation. Promote harmonious relationships within the work environment and support the needs of the team and customer. Listens to informal complaints of employees and other customers in a helpful and timely fashion. If not able to remedy a situation, the lead will notify the pharmacy supervisor. Assists in training and orientating of new and existing pharmacy technicians, residents, and students on policy and procedures. Provides feedback on training progress and performance of Outpatient Pharmacy Technicians to the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor. Identify and report developmental and training needs to ensure safety and quality control for their program area. Develops training schedules and assists in maintaining documentation for all pharmacy technicians. Effectively evaluate pharmacy activities to assist management to obtain short and long-range objectives and goals. Conduct technician meetings to assure timely updates of departmental and facility communications. Assist in the development of policies and procedures. Participates in departmental goal planning and quality improvement activities. Maintain competence by participating in staff development programs. Serves as a back up to other pharmacy technicians within the designated area of pharmacy, including the Controlled Substance Technician. Serves as the operational lead to assist in the set-up, configuration, and maintenance of automated medication distribution systems. Works with the Automation Pharmacy Technician to ensure equipment is maintained and operable. Participates as a member of the interview panel for technician positions. Assists in preparation of national, local, and special accreditations of Pharmacy Service (Joint Commission, Inspector General, Controlled Substance Inspections, Drug Enforcement Agency). This includes documentation record updates, development of specific training, and preparation of staff in compliance of policy and procedures. Incumbent proactively evaluates and analyzes data for self-driven (independent) performance improvement projects, workload analysis, and statistical reports. Responsible for reporting issues using various reporting systems for patient safety and provides guidance to Outpatient Pharmacy Technicians on appropriate reporting of issues. Prepares and assists with reports for Pharmacy Service Management Team. Performs audits on Outpatient Pharmacy Technicians and follows up on items when needed and reports findings to the Outpatient Pharmacy Technician Supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM Telework: Not-available Functional Statement #: 93102-0