Pharmacy Technician- Procurement/Inventory

Summary

This position is assigned within the VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6) Pharmacy Service. The Procurement Pharmacy Technician serves as a procurement specialist at the Hampton Veterans Medical Center. The incumbent works under the supervision of the Procurement Pharmacy Supervisor and Chief, Pharmacy Service. He/she will consistently demonstrate independent technical judgement and comprehensive and thorough working knowledge of VA policies and procedures.

Duties

VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: FUNCTIONS: Procurement (General) Has operational responsibility for ongoing inventories of drug products and pharmaceutical supplies and their procurement. Cost-effective turnover must be consistently identified and maintained. As a result, he/she must possess a thorough knowledge and understanding of procurement sources (i.e., prime vendor, open market, government excess, posted stock, and local), VA manual and associate circular procedures, and hospital procurement policies and procedures. Display a thorough understanding of policies, procedures, basic accounting and budgetary skills, the incumbent assures that pharmaceuticals and supplies are procured and maintained in the most cost- effective manner. Maintains accountability of daily purchases and coordinates receipt, controls budget ledger, assures consistent delivery schedules are employed and handled, and appropriately disperses stock into designated storage areas. Keeps current on contracts, product availability, and prices to identify appropriate sources and ensures most cost-effective products are purchased through the Federal Supply Schedule (FSS). Utilizes the prime vendor to order FSS items, involving direct contact with the prime vendor and placement and receipt of drug order after an assessment of the various contracts available and selection of the most cost-effective item. Works closely with appropriate staff (administrators, information technologists, supervisory, pharmacists, and other procurement technicians) to ensure seamless operation of the Drug Accountability Program. Resolves issues relating to drug accountability; identifies problems and corrects or elevates them to the appropriate level. Has knowledge of all aspects of drug characteristics and nomenclature including generic and brand names, various systems of weights and measures, drug product codes, drug interchangeability and equivalence, characteristics of drug packaging, what drugs are used for and how they are used, agency/institutional pharmacy regulations and policies, drug storage requirements, and special requirements for procurement, storage, and handling of various classes of drugs. Has a comprehensive knowledge of the operation and care of specialized pharmaceutical equipment. Has knowledge of specifications and characteristics of a wide variety of prosthetic and supply items which Pharmacy supplies to outpatients. These include, but are not limited to colostomy, ileostomy, and urostomy bags (and associated products), irrigation sets and bags, IV solutions/bags, internal and external urinary catheters, syringes, needles, and bandages. Assists pharmacists in determining high priority or emergency requirements and initiates procurement activity to local wholesale sources. Assists in development and/or execution of procedures to procure "special order" products available only through manufacturer-created specialty programs. Inventory Management Determines, establishes, and modifies, as necessary, appropriate ordering intervals, inventory levels, most efficient/effective ordering quantities, sources of supply, etc., based on current financial conditions in pharmacy, seasonal variations in drug usage, changing patterns of medical practice, delivery time requirements, urgency of medical need, alternative sources of availability, etc. Maintains contact with vendors to get status of orders and expedite delivery. Takes a lead role In preparation, performance, reporting and analysis of periodic inventories of pharmaceutical and supply items as instructed by management with intent to maintain inventory turn performance that meets or exceeds VISN and National goals and expectations. Maintains current awareness of additions/deletions to the VA National Formulary and local facility patterns of drug utilization. Coordinates stock requirements analyses and recommends appropriate stock levels and quantities to order based on utilization trends. Functions as a resource to all members of the pharmacy staff regarding product availability, inventory status, contracts, fiscal considerations, and control. The incumbent can assess needs and utilizes an extensive knowledge of Pharmacy operations, policies, and procedures to provide training and orient new employees and other staff. Work Schedule: 7:00am-3:30pm or 8:00am- 4:30pm; 8 Hour Shift; M - F; Varies based on the needs of the service. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Telework: Not AvailableVirtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 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: 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). 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: 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