[Hiring] Pharmacy Technician @Minneapolis VA Medical Center

Role Description

The incumbent is a certified pharmacy technician who is efficient, motivated, focuses on customer satisfaction and, who, under the authority of the VISN Clinical Contact Center Pharmacy Director, or designee, is responsible for the technical management of all patient care assistance activities regarding pharmacy services in the Clinical Contact Center.

• Medication Management:
  • Works collaboratively with VISN programs, services, and interdisciplinary team members to provide access to care and meet the needs of Veterans, their family members and/or legal representatives via various available contact modalities including telephone calls, secure messaging, chat, text messaging, and video regarding a broad range of topics including medication refills and renewals, basic billing inquiries, and procedural pharmacy activities.
  • Routinely reviews computer medication profiles for therapeutic duplication, prescription non-compliance, allergies, and drug interactions. Seeks assistance with identified individuals from a Clinical Pharmacist or supervisor for further evaluation, if needed.
  • Processes and submits patient requests for new prescription orders and renewal requests, including controlled substances, into the computer accurately, thoroughly, and in a timely manner. Uses approved VISN Clinical Contact Center Pharmacy protocols when appropriate to satisfy patient medication requests.
  • Consistently documents patient contact and resolution in VISN Clinical Contact Center software and/or the Electronic Health Record (EHR) to include what was requested, what action was taken, and any other information which may be pertinent during future research. Assists in the documentation of medication variances.
  • Assists in training for lower graded technicians and technician students.
  • Assists in the completion of workload for other VISN Clinical Contact Center Pharmacy Services in the event of natural disasters, low staffing, or other contingency needs.
  • Performs all duties of lower graded technicians, if required.
• General Duties:
  • Actively and diligently treats all Veterans with respect and utmost dignity. Seeks to solve Veteran's concerns at first contact. When required, refers to other VA resources to assist in the resolution process. Always resolves all Veteran issues in a timely and caring manner with emphasis on providing first contact resolution.
  • Seeks assistance from designated Lead Technician, a pharmacist or supervisor when responding to unusual questions or when reasonable attempts to satisfy a caller have been unsuccessful.
  • Follows applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files. Ensures Electronic Health Record (EHR) access to all sites serviced are maintained.
  • Participates in continuous daily improvement and VISN VA Health Connect initiatives.
  • Maintains National Pharmacy Technician Certification.
  • Completes additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• 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:
  • Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).
  • National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT).
• English Language Proficiency: Pharmacy technicians appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Grandfathering Provision: May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation.
• Pharmacy Technician, GS-07 Grade Determination:
  • Experience: Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-06) grade level. Equivalent experience includes, but is not limited to: filling orders, dispensing/delivering medications using automated systems and providing technical customer service to Veterans related to prescription needs, delivering of medications to floors/patients, filling medications for the pharmacist to review, checking for expired medications, answering phones with appropriate disposition, preparing sterile products (when applicable) and assisting with basic inventory management.
  • Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
    • Knowledge of pharmacy technician principles, practices, concepts and theories providing for sound independent work.
    • Knowledge of the computerized prescription process and input of prescriptions and medication orders or electronic equivalent.
    • Ability to resolve pharmacy/medication issues with other members of the healthcare team, Veterans and external customers.
    • Ability to train developmental pharmacy technicians and students.
    • Ability to dispense medication or sterile products following all regulations, policies and procedures to ensure safe medication distribution.
    • Ability to troubleshoot automated dispensing equipment (ADE) or technology platforms/databases.

Requirements

• You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Benefits

• Remote: This position is authorized to work remotely. However, this authorization is contingent on yearly approval from the Secretary of the VA. If approval is denied, the candidate will be required to work from a VA owned or leased space.
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.