Pharmacy Technician, Intermediate

UPMC Mercy is hiring a Full-Time Pharmacy Technician, Intermediate to support our Pharmacy department

This position will work rotating shifts primarily during the daylight and evening with nights as needed (about 2 per year).

This position is eligible for a Sign On Bonus of $5,000 with a 2 year commitment to UPMC.

Pharmacy Technician career advancement and certification opportunity available through completion of a free on-line program.

Title/Salary will be commensurate with experience and determined at time of offer. Salary Range/Qualifications shown are for Intermediate title.

Purpose:
The Pharmacy Technician, Intermediate provides pharmaceutical care to patients within the UPMC Health System by showing proficiency in essential technician functions like sterile and nonsterile medication preparation, packaging and labeling of medications, medication filling, and medication distribution. The Pharmacy Technician, Intermediate services are provided in compliance with Department of Health, The Joint Commission, and State Board of Pharmacy regulations.

Responsibilities:

• General: Develop and maintain a clean, organized, and adequately stocked work environment.
• Filling: Consistently has the ability to work in the Sterile Product area preparing cytotoxic and hazardous drugs (e.g. chemotherapy) using proper aseptic technique.
• General: Maintain all pertinent documentation as required. This includes eye wash logs, refrigerator logs, perpetual inventory logs etc.
• General: Ensure that all medications in all areas have been safely and securely stored according to Department of Health, The Joint Commission, and State Board of Pharmacy regulations. Comply with Federal and State laws such as HIPAA, regulations such as OSHA, and PBM contracting requirements such as FWA and CMS.
• Distribution: Develop and maintain positive and productive service relationships during medication distribution process.
• Distribution: Participate in the distribution of medication including medication cassettes, emergency medication carts and the delivery of controlled substances per department policy and state and federal requirements
• General: Participate in departmental quality improvement activities in order to continually improve and evaluate pharmaceutical care as reflected by operational and patient care indicators.
• General: Use computer skills to process and maintain all patient information and records. Maintain all patient information and records. Maintain the pharmacy computer system as required.
• General: finalize sales using cash register, follow proper cash handling policies and procedure
• General: Audit and maintain accurate records for controlled substances. Assure that all such drugs are stored and dispensed in compliance with Federal, State, and Department Regulations.
• General: Procure and maintain adequate inventory levels on daily basis in applicable areas such pharmacy medication stock rooms, automated medication carousels, and automated dispensing machines.
• Filling: Assist in filling medication orders through correct labeling, counting and stocking practices. Initial and date products as required.
• General: Provide and received information (via telephone, person-to-person, or written) to hospital personnel, patients and visitors. Refer all drug information questions to Staff Pharmacists.
• General: Demonstrate a high level of accuracy and skill in maintaining controlled substance records and the distribution process for controlled substances.
• Filling: Assist in the preparation of the proper oral and injectable medications (including intravenous admixtures and TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition)) for the correct patient for administration at the appropriate time. Use proper technique in the preparation of medications.
• Distribution: Retrieve medications that have been discontinued and return (and credits if necessary) them to the appropriate pharmacy area.
• Investigational: Assist in the procurement, accountability, storage, preparation and distribution of investigational and study drugs.
• General: Maintain and update automated med stations, unit and department stock, emergency boxes, and crash carts.
• Note: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned this job. They are not exhaustive lists of all duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions associated with the job.

• Demonstrated competency in THREE (3) of the following FOURTEEN (14) skills:
  • QUALITY IMPROVEMENT: participation in an active role as a lead contributor/developer in department and collaborative quality improvement, assist in data collection, program implementation and reporting of results.,
  • PRIOR AUTHORIZATION PROCESSING: possess a high level of knowledge regarding insurance prior authorization process including communication with patient and health care providers, understanding of documentation needed from medical records and pharmacy benefit management websites, ability to complete needed paperwork and assist in the follow-up with the approval process. 
  • MEDICATION ACCESS AND ADHERENCE: assist patients and health care providers with financial coordination using programs such as: copay assistance, pharmaceutical manufacturer assistance programs, foundation assistance and UPMC program. Promote quality and patient health through enrollment and management of adherence programs such as refill coordination and medication synchronization.
  • DECENTRAL PARTICIPATION: Engage in decentralized technician activities including automation management, cassette exchange, and expiration return, and demonstrate customer service during all interactions with nurses to facilitate the drug distribution process. Monitor pharmacy activities including but not limited to turn around time, stockouts, missing doses, central drop, and AcuDose footprints.
  • MEDICATION RECONCILIATION: Interview patients and appropriate caregivers to obtain admission medication information and accurately enter it into the electronic chart for review by a pharmacist. Coordinate with health care professionals to facilitate any medication changes made throughout the hospital stay and ensure the filling of prescriptions for patients upon discharge. This may include transportation of the physical prescription and coordination of payment from the patient to the outpatient pharmacy.
  • AUTOMATION: Possess a high level of knowledge and skill in working with pharmacy automation technologies, including RobotRx and packaging operations.
  • OR SERVICES: Understand and consistently assist with the daily operations within the operating room pharmacy, including drawing up syringes and filling kits, case trays, room boxes, etc., as well as appropriate inventory and ordering practices for OR satellites and areas.
  • INVENTORY PROCESSES: Maintain an understanding of best practices associated with inventory control processes, ordering, and receiving medication. Demonstrate a solid understanding related to laws, regulations, and policies and procedures related to procurement.
  • NON-STERILE PACKAGING: Able to package oral dosage forms including liquid formulations in the pharmacy packaging system.
  • CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE HANDLING: Assist with controlled substance ordering, receiving, and filling, and maintain appropriate inventory documentation in compliance with Federal, State, and Department Regulations.
  • CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC PREPARATION: Consistently has the ability to work in the Sterile Product area preparing cytotoxic and hazardous drugs (e.g. chemotherapy) with a high level of skill and expertise.
  • STERILE COMPOUNDING: Compound IV medications using appropriate aseptic technique in an accurate, efficient, and timely manner. Utilizing the pharmacy information system, generate any necessary sterile product reports, labels, or makes time changes; discontinue IV solutions with a high level of skill and accuracy. Able to perform the calculations involved in nutritional solution preparation.
  • ORDER ENTRY: Assist with the order entry of medications into the pharmacy information system including IV admixtures and TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition), under the supervision of a pharmacist.
  • ADJUDICATION/BILLING: Consistently exhibit the following actions; submission of prescription information to correct insurance processor, troubleshoot and resolve rejected claims, reliably coordinate multiple benefit payers, including Medicare obtaining all necessary paperwork including assignment of benefit forms.
• Completion of high school diploma or equivalent OR Completion of an accredited pharmacy technician program AND one of the following:
  • Two years of previous Pharmacy Technician experience
  • Enrollment in good standing as a pharmacy student. 

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:

• Act 34

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran