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)

Individual Occupational Requirements

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.

OR

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.

Successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces or the U.S. Maritime Service under close medical and professional supervision is creditable on a month-for-month basis for general experience.

Successful completion of pertinent specialized training courses in pharmaceutical and pharmacy practices while serving in the Armed Forces is creditable on a month-for-month basis up to the 1 year of specialized experience required for GS-5.

In addition, to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Minimum Qualifications stated below-

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualifications for GS-3: 6 months of General Experience OR 1 year of education above high school with course(s) related to the occupation. General Experience is defined as any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation.

Minimum Qualifications for GS-4: 6 months of General Experience and 6 months of Specialized Experience OR 2 years of education above high school with courses related to the occupation. Specialized Experience is defined as 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.

Minimum Qualifications for GS-5: 1 year of Specialized Experience equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level OR 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. Examples of Specialized Experience equivalent to at least the GS-4 grade level include typing prescription labels; calculating doses to match physicians order; filling prescriptions; filling the unit-dose medication cart; repackaging drugs into usable size; maintaining pharmacy store room and hospital drug stocks; recording necessary information on control logs. Explaining pharmacy prescriptions to patients as necessary.

Minimum Qualifications for GS-6: 1 year of Specialized Experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level OR 6 months (9 semester hours) of graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position. Examples of Specialized Experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level include preparing sterile solutions in the pharmacy; measuring and mixing additives for IV's; manufacturing products to fill a single prescription or drug order; compounding and/or reconstituting oral and non-sterile external medications; inspecting final products for accuracy and delivery. Recording prescription refills and dispensing of over-the-counter drugs into patients medical record.



You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.