Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technician

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Chesapeake County, Virginia

Salary Range: $58465 - $76006 Per Year

Job Summary: Pharmacy Technician - Outpatient This position is assigned to the outpatient pharmacy located within the VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6). This position supports the Pharmacy Service. The technician will assist the pharmacist in providing optimal care and timely service in accordance with the mission, vision, and goals of the Hampton VA Healthcare System and Pharmacy

Major Duties:

• VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Functions: A. General. Accurately interpret, fills, and package outpatient prescriptions for window and mail efficiently to achieve a goal of twenty-minute window waiting time and two-day mail turnaround time. Prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification. Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly condition by ensuring that all stock and equipment are in assigned places and all shelves and counters are free of dust and debris to create optimal work areas. Ensures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines, including the storage of high-risk, look a-like sound a-like, hazardous, controlled substances, corrosive chemical, flammable liquids, and refrigerated items. Utilizes automation dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff following all safety and QA procedures. Reports automation malfunctions timely the supervisor as appropriate. Records expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system upon receipt. Perform monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed. Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements. Reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile) and dispenses medication or sterile products. Resolves pharmacy/medication issues and functions as first-line telephone contact with other members of the healthcare team, veterans, and external customers. Addresses telephone requests in a timely and courteous fashion, processing, for example, refill request, etc. Forwards calls beyond the technician's scope to a pharmacist or supervisor. Attends orientation, education, and training programs. Reviews literature and other materials pertaining to the practice of pharmacy. Completes all educational requirements and mandatory training programs required by the agency in the stipulated time-period. Completes all competency/skills B. Outpatient Pharmacy Activites: 1. Prescription Assembly (a) Assembles prescriptions properly with the correct drug, strength, quantity, auxiliary labels, and prescription labels. for window dispensing and mail delivery (b) Ensures that the correct medication is filled by using bar code scanning on stock bottles. (c) Supports automation by manually completing prescriptions not processed through the automation dispensing machine (d) Ensures the timely completion of all prescriptions Window Pick-Up Verifies the patient's identification following the Medical Center's policies (i.e., double patient identifiers) (b) Verifies that the patient receives the correct prescriptions by using VA software (i.e., VISTA and barcode scanning) (c) Verifies that the patient has received all prescriptions (i.e., refrigerated, controlled substances, bulk medications, etc.) (d) Utilizes VA software programs to check narratives and problem solve deliveries for patients with no physical address Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. 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. 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) Work Schedule: Must be available for variable tours: days, afternoons, evenings, nights, weekends and holidays as needed. Subject to change based on the needs of the service. Functional Statement #: 000000

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. Education or Experience. (1) None required. (2) 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: (1) Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). OR (2) National Healthcareer Association (NHA), Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT) English Language Proficiency: Pharmacy Technician candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) 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). Grade Determinations: Pharmacy Technician, GS-07. Experience. Candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower 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: (a) PTCB as a CPhT. OR (b) NHA as a ExCPT. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following 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. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Pharmacy technicians at this level are nationally certified and can work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of duties. These pharmacy technicians mentor and train lower graded pharmacy technicians in the practice setting. They assist advanced/ specialized pharmacy technicians and participate in performance improvement initiatives. At this level, pharmacy technicians use independent judgement to perform the full range of duties in the pharmacy. They also function as staff pharmacy technicians in various locations of the pharmacy, including pharmacy contact centers and other non-traditional pharmacy locations, with minimal oversight. 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-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-7. Physical Requirements: The work involves long periods of moving, standing and pushing carts about the work unit. The work requires regular and recurring bending, stretching, and lifting. The incumbent must be a mature, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, demonstrating cheerfulness, compassion, courtesy and concern for staff and patients

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 03/13/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12898533. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-13