Pharmacy Technician

Summary

The Pharmacy Technician- CSP Program Coordinator, will work as the Compounded Sterile Products (CSP) Program Coordinator which is a certified, highly specialized technician, who will coordinator program initiatives under the direction of the CSP Pharmacy Supervisor. This position will be based out of the Salisbury VA Medical Center campus. The incumbent will travel periodically between all of our sites where sterile compounding is done.

Duties

• VA Careers - Pharmacy: https://youtube.com/embed/Fn_ickNBEws Duties include but are not limited to: Assists CSP Pharmacy Supervisor with tasks intended to ensure compliance with policy and regulatory requirements pertaining to sterile compounding including maintaining required records and quality assurance logs; developing and implementing procedural guidelines; creating and maintaining reference and resource materials; and executing administrative duties of the job as assigned. Plays an active role in maintaining a state of survey-readiness for accreditations, national reviews, and inspections. Determines training needs of sterile compounding staff based on their assigned area(s), develops training schedules, and performs/coordinates training. d. Operates, maintains, troubleshoots, and trains staff on CSP-related equipment and technology. Assigned as a superuser in documentation and education platforms specific to the CSP suite where appropriate. Administers glove fingertip and media fill testing and didactic practical skill assessments to pharmacy staff with sterile compounding privileges. Maintains training/education assignments and records for all pharmacy staff with sterile compounding privileges. Conducts audits of sterile compounding preparation spaces including reviews of documentation of activities and visual inspections for cleanliness, wear/condition, organization, and medication storage, labeling, and expirations. Communicates and coordinates with the CSP Pharmacy Supervisor regarding status of compounding rooms, equipment, staffing, and area maintenance (e.g., cleaning, surface conditions, etc.). Assists Pharmacist Supervisors with assessing workflow, modifying, and adjusting priorities and schedules to meet the needs of pharmacy compounding operations. Provides input to Pharmacy Supervisors on annual performance appraisals of sterile compounding staff upon request. Serves as an active member in total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services. Using aseptic technique, compounds both complicated and uncomplicated non-hazardous and hazardous (e.g., chemotherapy) parenteral admixtures in the form of large volume, small volume, infusion syringe, infusion pump, or another modality as required. Correctly interprets orders; selects, calculates, and measures appropriate ingredients; mixes ingredients in an aseptic and effective manner; inspects the final product for accuracy, suitability, and elegance; labels the product; and maintains records of the compounding process. Performs medication dispensing and distribution within their designated work area. Understands and applies specific handling considerations for storage, distribution, and disposal of medications. Applies safe handling when using hazardous materials and able to interpret Safety Data Sheets. Demonstrates expert understanding and execution of aseptic principles and practices. Demonstrates technical knowledge of supplies used in compounding sterile products including but not limited to various needles, syringes, tubing, filters, pump reservoirs, etc. Operates, maintains, and understands the function of pharmacy equipment including but not limited to laminar airflow hoods, biosafety cabinets, compounding aseptic isolators, repeater pumps, OmnicellTM devices, etc. Ensure that designated areas where CSPs are made are cleaned according to USP 797/800 standards and local policies, and appropriate documentation is routinely completed. Use knowledge, skills, and abilities to resolve questionable orders or situations to ensure quality of care. Performs accurate product selection, dosage calculations, and compounding of agents utilizing package literature, written procedural guidelines and application of specialized knowledge. Contacts and obtains clarification from pharmacists on any questionable dosages or combinations or any situation that presents a p…

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)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-09 Experience. One year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs and meet any additional KSAs for the assignment, if indicated: (a) 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.). (b) Skill in analyzing data for self-driven (independent) performance improvement projects, workload analysis and statistical reports. (c) Skill in solving problems and implementing corrective actions to maximize outcomes in their program area. (d) Ability 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). (e) Ability to develop training programs and material for orientation, competency development and educational needs for regulatory requirements within the specialized pharmacy program area. 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 grade level may be appointed to one of the following assignments. (a) Pharmacy Technician. Pharmacy technician coordinators perform the full range of program coordination in their specialized area of pharmacy. These positions require independent technical judgement and expertise in complex areas of pharmacy practice that have specific laws, significant regulatory requirements and quality/safety standards. They organize, coordinate and manage single or multiple programs under the delegation of pharmacy supervisors or Associate Chiefs. Pharmacy 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…

Education

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/.