Pharmacy Technician

Summary

The Outpatient Pharmacy Technician will be assigned tasks within any area of theoutpatient pharmacy, vault, clinics or medication rooms. Additionally, the technician will perform quality assurance activities including medication room inspections within the facility.

Duties

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Outpatient Pharmacy Technician will be assigned on a rotation basis to various positions, including pharmacy call center, outpatient pharmacy inventory management, non-sterile compounding, controlled substance management, as well as medication preparation and shipping. The technician must have extensive knowledge of pharmacy policies and procedures and the use of specialized equipment. FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES: Customer Service 1) Treat patients, team members, other facility employees and visitors with dignity and respect. 2) Respond to the needs of the Veteran and staff in a courteous and timely manner. 3) Demonstrate appropriate and proactive interpersonal skills to achieve the goals of the service. 4) Act as a team member and always support the team's efforts. 5) Demonstrate an ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality of services provided. Pharmacy Operations 1) Maintain competence in all operational aspects of pharmacy service including specialty equipment and materials, automation, distribution, labeling, packaging, documentation, controlled substance accountability, procurement, and inventory management. 2) Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment including robotic automation (ScriptPro). Ability to troubleshoot in the event of equipment or associated software malfunction, including the ability to request service assistance from VA entities or the equipment vendor. 3) Reads and interprets prescriptions for technical accuracy, completes prescription filling process including labeling and batching prescriptions utilizing robotic automation (ScriptPro) when applicable. For those medications and/or supplies unavailable for fill by robotic automation (ScriptPro), technician manually obtains correct medication or material in the proper strength and dosage form, manually counts, pours, and/or measures correct amount of medication, and manually affixes proper label, records required data in robotic automation (ScriptPro) database or on Pharmacy's copy of prescription/order hardcopy when required. Presents completed prescriptions to pharmacist for final verification prior to dispensing. Pharmacy call center responsibilities 1) Will triage phone calls. Phone will be appropriately routed to pharmacists, pharmacy management, and members of medical team, or other areas of the medical center. 2) Assists patients with tele-pharmacy applications including patient orientation to the application. Provide patient education on pharmacy topics such as the requesting refill process, drug information sheets, and relaying judgmental questions to the pharmacist. 3) Process refill requests from a variety of avenues including refill slips dropped onsite, refill slips given over the phone, etc. 4) When appropriate, will forward refill and renewal requests to the medical care team on behalf of the Veteran. 5) Will assist veterans by researching the status of prescriptions, including package tracking, etc. Education 1) Demonstrate skill at using both written and verbal communication techniques in teaching others. 2) Assist in new employee orientation, competency assessments, and mentoring as required. Quality Assurance 1) Conduct monthly medication storage area inspections in inpatient wards and outpatient areas for audit purposes. Completes thorough inspections, documents findings, and shares findings with pharmacy management. 2) Maintain a thorough understanding of VA, USP, Joint Commission and other standards for drug handling and storage and monitor in all areas, taking action to maintain security and integrity of all medications. Program Management 1) Serve on department or medical center committees as requested. 2) Adhere to all medical center and department policies and procedures. 3) Manage information security within areas of responsibility to assure that computer system security and confidentiality of sensitive information is maintained, and that employee access to sensitive information is limited only to that which the employee requires to perform their duties. Report and address violations of information security. 4) Maintain the security of pharmaceuticals according to local policies and federal and state regulations Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday through Friday, 08:30am - 5:00pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

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. 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.

Qualifications and evaluation

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

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/.

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 09/08/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13050395. 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.

Required documents

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: License Resume Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field. Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field. The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) License **Highly Recommended** Write to the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) on a separate document - KSAs are found under qualification/grade requirements in the announcement. Resume/CV exceeding two-pages PCS Orders Proof of Marriage Status Resume SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Veterans' Preference: FY 2026 VHA SHORTAGE OCCUPATIONS APPROVED FOR WAIVER OF VETERANS' PREFERENCE: Pharmacy Technician, 0661

Additional information

The Iowa City Veterans Affairs Health Care System (ICVAHCS) consists of a comprehensive Tertiary Care Level I VA Health Care System; eleven VA Clinics and two Homeless Veterans Outreach Centers and has an affiliate agreement with the top ranked University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. ICVAHCS is home to the Center for Access & Delivery Research and Evaluation (CADRE), one of the largest research departments in the VA. CADRE is an energetic and upbeat organization with 18 core investigators, 29 affiliate or associate investigators, 3 Career Development Awardees, 5 VA Quality Scholars, over 50 research personnel, and over 40 funded projects. https://www.va.gov/iowa-city-health-care/about-us/ The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.