Pharmacy Technician - Compounding and Drug Distribution

<p>The Pharmacy Compounding and Drug Distribution Specialist is a certified, highly specialized Technician, and is responsible for the first line management of all controlled substances handled by the Pharmacy for the St. Cloud VA. The incumbent is also responsible for the preparation of non-sterile and sterile products handled by Pharmacy. This position requires thorough knowledge and understanding of federal, VA and facility regulations regarding controlled substances and compounding functions.</p><h3>Major Duties</h3><p>Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: Controlled Substances Accurately interprets, fills and readies-controlled substance prescriptions with appropriate medications for Pharmacist verification. Effectively coordinates, manages, completes and documents the purchasing of prescription drug products by maintaining a comprehensive knowledge of the procurement and formulary process. Maintains, verifies, stocks and replaces outdated controlled medications from stock, including inpatient wards, storage cabinets and the Pharmacy vault. Maintains accurate electronic inventory through decrementing prescriptions, entering received inventory and transferring to automated dispensing cabinets. Follows policies and procedures for handling the destruction and return of controlled medications. Assists, reviews and makes recommendations in inventory control of controlled substances. Monitors and analyzes orders and usage/distribution patterns for questionable circumstances or unusual trends and communicates potential problems to supervisor. Provides training for Pharmacists, interns, Technicians, inspectors, students and others in controlled substance accountability procedures. Prepares, operates, restocks, and maintain complex automated dispensing cabinets and all necessary equipment supporting pharmaceutical patient care functions. Maintains file of hard copy CII-V prescriptions. Resolves inventory discrepancies immediately when discovered by reviewing reports and contacting appropriate people when needed. Reports discrepancies to supervisor, when appropriate. Ensures all controlled substance procedures abide by all local requirements, VISN, OIG and VHA handbook expectations and requirements, The Joint Commission (TJC) standards, VA Central Office directives, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) requirements, appropriate inventory management practices and other state and local requirements that apply. Maintains security of controlled substances by controlling access to storage areas and ensuring that controlled substances are kept in a locked, supervised area specifically designated for controlled substance storage Compounding Is knowledgeable in United States Pharmacopeia (USP) <795>, <797> and <800> standards, Pharmacy law, VHA directives and DEA regulations as they relate to practice within the VA Health Care System. Uses aseptic technique to compound sterile products within the IV suite. Prepares sterile ophthalmic preparations and other complex sterile pharmaceutics as appropriate. Correctly interpret orders, selects, and measures appropriate ingredients, mixes ingredients in an aseptic manner, inspects the final product for accuracy, suitability and elegance, labels the product, maintains records of the manufacturing process and supplies the product for delivery. Understands specific handling considerations for storage, distribution, and disposal of medications. Displays competence with good aseptic technique and manufacturing practices through demonstration and work performance. Maintains technical knowledge of equipment and supplies used in compounding sterile products, including but not limited to admixing pumps, needles, syringes, and other compounding supplies. Operates and maintains complicated Pharmacy equipment, including but not limited to laminar flow hoods and compounding software. Ensures that the IV cleanrooms are cleaned daily and appropriate logs are completed for daily, weekly and monthly cleaning. Performs accurate product selection, dosage calculations and compounding of agents utilizing package literature, written procedural guidelines and application of specialized knowledge. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm, 8:00am-4:30pm, or 9:30am-6:00pm Recruitment Incentive (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). 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 Eligible Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized</p><h3>Requirements</h3>You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.<h3>Education</h3>Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.