Pharmacy Technician

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. 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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week. BASIC REQUIREMENT(S):Pharmacy Technician Series 0661 (opm.gov) Specialized Experience For positions at GS-4 and above: Qualifying specialized experience may have been gained in hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, or in pharmaceutical firms or laboratories. Experience must have provided a basic knowledge of: Pharmaceutical nomenclature; Characteristics, strengths, and dosage forms of pharmaceuticals; Pharmaceutical systems of weights and measures; and the Variety of procedures and techniques involved in the care, storage, repackaging, bulk compounding, and distribution of pharmaceuticals. Education and Training For GS-3: Successful completion of 1 year of study that included a course in biology, chemistry, or physics. For GS-4: Successful completion of 2 years of study in pharmacy or pharmacy technology that included at least 12 semester hours in courses in the care, storage, distribution, and preparation of pharmaceuticals, and appropriate laboratory work. For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with major study in pharmacy, or that included at least 24 semester hours in pharmacy-related courses. In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below- MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: General Experience: (l) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant’s ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Your resume must demonstrate specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks GS-03: Six (6) months general experience OR 1 year above high school in the study that included a course in biology, chemistry, or physics. GS-04: Six (6) months of general experience and Six (6) months of specialized experience: Reconstitutes certain sterile medications which are to be added to intravenous solutions; Receive and fill clinic drug supply orders for a wide variety of items stocked in Pharmacy; Bulk compounds, packages, and labels complex products many of which are for internal consumption; determine which direction labels are appropriate for products compounded; GS-05: One year (1) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-4: Perform substantially all bulk compounding, packaging and labeling of all products; Types up prescription labels; calculates doses to match physician’s order with pharmacy stocks and adjusts label accordingly; Fills prescriptions. Records prescription refills and dispensing of Over-the-Counter drugs onto the patient’s medical record. GS-6: One year (1) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5: Assisting the Pharmacists and receiving medication orders, interpreting the orders, filling the medication, which includes calculating the dosage, and dispensing it to the patient or patient proxy; contacting and preparing contracts with third party payers when reviewing of database shows need; participating in designated meetings to discuss with other departments current billing issues; preparing medication for dispensing and administration; managing medication and supply procurement. Specialized Experience: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience, as indicated in the table, are not required by this standard to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements. Successfully completed post-high school education is qualifying for grades GS-3 through GS-5. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. Time In Grade (Merit Promotion Candidates Only) Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP). You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.
The Pharmacy Technician position is located at the Woodrow Wilson Keeble Memorial Health Care Center, Sisseton, South Dakota. The Pharmacy Technician assists the pharmacists and received medication orders, interprets the orders, fills the medication and dispenses medication to the patient or patient proxy if no counseling is needed. Incumbent works with the Pharmacist on medication inventory management.