Pharmacy Technician - Informatics and Medication Safety

Summary The Pharmacy Technician - Informatics and Medication Safety role serves as a subject matter expert in pharmacy automation and informatics by managing and coordinating multiple automation systems - developing workflows and staff training - and supporting the Medication Safety Officer through data collection - event reporting - safety surveillance - quality improvement - education - staff guidance on safety processes - and administrative support to the Medication Safety Subcommittee. Qualifications All requirements must be met at the time of the announcement closing. Basic Requirements United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA PolicyEducation or ExperienceNone requiredFor 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 qualifyingThe 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 levelCertificationFor 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)OR National Healthcareer Association (NHA) - Certified Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT)Grandfathering ProvisionPharmacy 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 occupationFor 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 positionsEmployees 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 levelsEmployees 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 standardEmployees 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 qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupationEmployees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupationForeign EducationTo be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentialsEnglish Language ProficiencyPharmacy 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-9: ExperienceCandidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-08) and demonstrate the KSAs belowCertificationFor positions above the full performance level - the employee must pass a national certification exam and hold an active national certification through either: PTCB as a CPhTOR NHA as a ExCPTKnowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs)In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs for ALL GS-9 assignments and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment - if indicated: Expert knowledge serving as a key resource advising others in their particular specialty area or section of the pharmacy (such as procurement - sterile compounding (USP compounding standards) -controlled substances DEA - automation - clinical pharmacy - lead tech - contact center - etc.)Skill in analyzing data for self-driven (independent) performance improvement projects - workload analysis and statistical reportsSkill in solving problems and implementing corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program areaAbility to maintain special accreditations and prepare for national reviews/inspections (e.g. - The Joint Commission - Inspector General - American Society of Health System Pharmacists® - controlled substance inspections)Ability to develop training programs and material for orientation - competency development and educational needs for regulatory requirements within the specialized pharmacy program areaAssignmentsFor 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 timePharmacy technicians at this level are nationally certified and can work autonomously using independent judgement to perform a full range of dutiesPharmacy technician coordinators perform the full range of program coordination in their specialized area of pharmacyThese positions require independent technical judgement and expertise in complex areas of pharmacy practice that have specific laws - significant regulatory requirements and quality/safety standardsThey organize - coordinate and manage single or multiple programs under the delegation of pharmacy supervisors or Associate ChiefsPharmacy technicians at this level must have expert understanding of regulatory and quality standards for the complex program area and manage all aspects of compliance with these standards with limited input from pharmacy supervisor(s)Pharmacy technicians at this grade level may be assigned as a coordinator in areas requiring detailed regulatory oversight and record keeping including - but not limited - to the Controlled Substance Program - Research/Investigational Drug Program - Procurement - Automation & Informatics program - Quality/Patient Safety - Clinical or Call CenterReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.1.You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this positionQuestions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Duties Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNED DUTIES: Automation and Informatics Serves as a subject matter expert and key resource in the technical areas of pharmacy automation and informaticsOrganizes - coordinates - and manages the technical aspects of multiple pharmacy automation systems under the supervision of informatics pharmacistsDevelops workflows and related training and orientation of pharmacy staffMedication Safety Assists the Medication Safety Officer with data collection - event reporting - medication safety surveillance - quality improvement activities - and educational supportServes as a resource for staff on medication safety processes and reporting proceduresProvides administrative support to the Medication Safety SubcommitteePerforms other duties as assigned - including but not limited to those of a GS-07 or GS-08 Pharmacy Technician in the inpatient and outpatient pharmaciesOccasional travel within the healthcare system may be requiredFUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES: Automation and Informatics Manages the technical aspects of multiple pharmacy automation systems under the supervision of informatics pharmacistsCoordinates hardware and software across ICVAHCS and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) to ensure timely - safe - efficacious - and cost-effective servicesEnsures maximum system availabilityResolves system issues or escalates appropriatelyNotifies affected staff and pharmacy leadership of system outagesProactively communicates planned outages and contingency plansProvides front-line technical supportServes as liaison to Office of Information and Technology (OIT) - Healthcare Technology Management (HTM - \"BioMed\") - and vendorsSubmits and monitors service ticketsCoordinates installations and supportParticipates in system testingDevelops - maintains - and provides pharmacy system orientation and trainingContributes to standardized and vetted orientation and training plans for all new pharmacy employeesDevelops and runs reports as neededResponds to operational information requests before applicable deadlinesEstablishes and maintains record keeping systemsMedication Safety Assists in the collection - entry - and tracking of medication-related safety events - including adverse drug events (ADEs) - medication errors - and near misses - using designated reporting platforms such as JPSR and VA Adverse Drug Event Reporting System (ADERS)Conduct preliminary review of event reports for completeness and accuracy prior to pharmacist or Medication Safety Officer reviewSupports pharmacists in monitoring facility compliance with VHA - FDA - DEA - OIG - and Joint Commission medication safety standards by gathering and organizing compliance dataRuns and compiles standard reports from safety databases as directed - distributing them to designated staff for analysisAssists in the preparation of de-identified summaries of medication event data for pharmacy management and interdisciplinary sharingMaintains up-to-date records of ISMP alerts and communicates related notifications to pharmacy staff as instructedSupports the department's residency program through participation in informatics and medication safety rotation activitiesPerforms specialized automation - informatics - and medication safety duties at least 25% of the timePerforms other professional or administrative tasks as assigned by the Pharmacy Informatics Supervisor - Medication Safety Officer - or Chief of Pharmacy ServiceWork Schedule: Full-Time - Monday through Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experienceParental 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 childChild 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 $416.66Retirement: 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 positionFunctional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized