Pharmacy Technician (Inpatient & Sterile Compounding/Oncology)

Summary

The incumbent will staff a significant amount of time in oncology sterile compounding activities, supporting overall sterile compounding operations, and will provide staffing support in the rest of the inpatient pharmacy.

Duties

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major Duties include, but do not include: Performs essential role in preparation, compounding, dispensing, and distribution of sterile and nonsterile hazardous medication within designated sterile compounding areas. Receives, reviews, and prepares physician order for cytotoxic agents and pre-medication. Performs accurate product identification labeling dosage calculation, and compounding of agents by utilizing package literature, written procedural guidelines and application of specialized knowledge. Successfully complete assignments and maintain annual competencies to compound hazardous and non-hazardous IV sterile preparations according to USP and standards. Follows proper aseptic preparation techniques when compounding hazardous and non-hazardous medications. Reviews anticipated inventory needs and notifies procurement technician in a timely manner of products required. Receives hazardous IV chemotherapy inventory stock according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) guidelines placing in proper storage areas, rotating stock on shelves, and removing/replacing outdated items. Maintains Chemo/IV room medication inventory, compounding supplies and cleaning product to ensure availability and minimize waste. Conducts daily, weekly, and monthly IV room cleaning to include check for soon to expire medications. Manufactures uncomplicated and/or complicated parenteral admixtures to be delivered in the form of large volume, small volume, infusion syringe or other as required. Prepares sterile ophthalmic preparations and other complex sterile pharmaceuticals such as total parenteral alimentations and cardioplegia solutions. m. Assists in the central IV sterile suite as needed. Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of USP 795/797/800 chapters and hazardous drug handling to assist in management, compliance, staff education activities, training, and room certifications. Participates in glove fingertip and media fill testing, maintain competences passing didactic practical skill assessment initially and annually thereafter. p. Assists in airborne particulate and microbial testing and surface testing to ensure cleaning schedules are met. Ensures full compliance with all regulatory requirements (VHA, Joint Commission, USP , EPA, OSHA, NIOSH, and FDA). Ability to evaluate, analyze and coordinate workflow independently in the assigned area. After prescription/order(s) are reviewed by a pharmacist for therapeutic propriety, reviews orders for technical accuracy and converts the order, if necessary, so that the item dispensed corresponds to the drug and dose ordered. Assists with inventory management and ordering of medications. Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel regarding drug distribution. Identifies basic therapeutic problems such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention. Conducts periodic ward inspection of patient care areas. The characteristics of new medications/items and the operation of new equipment are taught through periodic formal training sessions. The technician plans and completes tasks based on established protocols/accepted pharmaceutical practices for the section staff. Successfully and consistently demonstrates the exercise of independent technical judgment (without the need for readily available supervision) as well as comprehensive and thorough working knowledge of the most complex and difficult practices and procedures Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 7:00AM-3:30PM Rotating Weekends and Holidays Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 24095-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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: United States Citizenship. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. 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). 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). 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 qua