Lead Pharmacy Technician (Inpatient)

Summary

The lead pharmacy technician performs duties independently which consist of significant scope, complexity and leads at least three GS-07 or more technicians.

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to: Assess workload volume throughout the day, identify backlogs, and makes 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 new and existing pharmacy technicians and students on policy and procedures. 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 and students. Effectively evaluates pharmacy activities to assist management to obtain short- and long-range objectives and goals. Conduct technician meetings to assure proper updates of departmental and hospital communications. Assist in the development of policies and procedures and participate in departmental goal planning and quality improvement activities. Maintain competence by participating in staff development programs. Guide, train, and provide technical direction of all pharmacy non-pharmacist technical staff and volunteers within the designated area of pharmacy. Evaluates and coordinates the workflow and technical aspects of pharmacy operations within their designated pharmacy service area. May be responsible for personnel scheduling, time-and-attendance processing, and quality assurance activities. Serves as on-line back up to other pharmacy technicians within the designated area of pharmacy. Work Schedule: 7:00am - 3:30pm, with rotating weekends. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:688-24097-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Qualifications

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: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education or Experience: None required. 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 (GS-07 and above): 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). National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). 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: 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. Grade Determinations: Lead Pharmacy Technician, GS-08 In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-08 you must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07). 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). National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT). Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: 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.) Skill in training and orienting new and existing pharmacy facility employees and students on proper policies and procedures. 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-8). Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as TB screening, as a condition of employment. Lifting/carrying up to 44 lbs; Standing; Sitting; Walking; Kneeling; Bending/Stooping; Twisting; Pushing/pulling, Both legs required; Simple g