Medical Support Assistant

Summary

The purpose of this position is to provide frontline service, manage appointment and pharmacy systems, direct patient care, and perform receptionist duties for the pharmacy department. A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

Duties

Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job: Medical Support Assistant Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov) Serve as the primary point of contact for pharmacy patients by providing customer service, responding to inquiries, verifying patient eligibility, and coordinating prescription processing while ensuring confidentiality and compliance with Indian Health Service (IHS) policies. Manage pharmacy intake operations by utilizing Resource Patient Management System (RPMS), Electronic Health Record (EHR), ScriptPro, and Rx Central systems to process prescription requests, monitor workflow queues, and communicate prescription status and wait times. Coordinate patient scheduling and administrative support by maintaining accurate medical records, updating demographic and clinical information, processing referrals, and collaborating with clinical staff to ensure continuity of care. IHS Selectees whose duties and responsibilities require them to work permanently, temporarily, or occasionally in an IHS healthcare facility must comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy related to vaccine-preventable diseases, consistent with recommendations for healthcare workers. Vaccine exemption requests may be available, as outlined in the IHS Employee Immunization Policy and facility guidance.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS GS-05: Four (4) years of education above high school or One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-05 grade level Deliver front-line customer service in a pharmacy setting by assisting patients in person and via telephone. Manage prescription status inquiries, schedule appointments, and maintain accurate patient demographic information within the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system to support efficient clinical operations. GS-06: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-06 grade level Utilize electronic health record (EHR) and pharmacy automation systems to verify patient information, document clinical encounters, process prescription requests, and monitor workflow queues that support pharmacy operations. Resolve inquiries regarding prescription processing, appointment scheduling, pharmacy services, and referral status. NOTE: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels and positions for which both education and experience are acceptable. Time In Grade Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP). You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

Education

If you are substituting education for experience; You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.