Pharmacy Technician

The Pharmacy Technician plays a vital role in the medication distribution system, working under the supervision of a Pharmacist to ensure the safe and efficient delivery of medications to patients. This position requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Fill new medication orders and cassettes for Pharmacist review
• Assist in the reconciliation of missing orders and doses, and complete required documentation
• Deliver and retrieve medications to and from patient care areas
• Deliver medications to the appropriate storage area on the nursing unit, including patients' rooms
• Retrieve discontinued and discharged patients' medications from the nursing unit and return them to the pharmacy
• Deliver stock medications and place them in the appropriate storage location
• Maintain patient transfers, discharges, and medication returns to their proper locations
• Exchange medication cassettes daily
• Complete all assigned charging and crediting functions, including those from miscellaneous sources
• Prepackage medications, such as oral liquids, simple batch compounding, and starter doses for review
• Restock automated dispensing cabinets, such as Acudose machines
• Utilize the Pharmacy operating system, such as Cerner
• Operate and maintain the robot for first doses and cart-fill process
• Use the tube system, secure transaction function, and do not tube list
• Stock medications to their appropriate locations, rotate stock as necessary, and check outdates, and assist in maintaining adequate stock levels
• Maintain the assigned inspection section and check outdates monthly
• Fill emergency trays, anesthesia trays, ancillary department stock requests, and various medication boxes
• Facilitate communication within the Pharmacy
• Answer the telephone and triage calls to the appropriate person
• Monitor the Pharmacy Window and assist customers according to their needs
• Staff the IV Room when necessary
• Prior to completion of department IV training and competency
• Prepare IV medications and parenteral nutrition (TPN) utilizing USP 797 and 800 guidelines for review
• Label pre-mixed IV meds and batch prep mini bag plus IV meds for Pharmacist review
• Manage adequate inventory levels
• Maintain the Clean Room environment per policy and procedure as well as USP 797 and 800 guidelines
• Follow Quality Assurance protocols, such as temp/humidity monitoring, hood cleaning, hand washing, and proper garb for the Clean Room
• Demonstrate skill and proficiency to be scheduled for IV shift on weekends/holidays
• Thoroughly trained in all aspects of the basic tech functions/duties
• Robot: thoroughly understand the cart-fill process, including updates and patient transfers/discharges; troubleshoot problems/issues
• Acudose machines: manage the return bin function and be able to troubleshoot problems/issues
• Assist the Pharmacist in filling outpatient prescriptions as necessary
• Operate packaging machines, which requires knowledge of machine setup, reports, and trouble-shooting
• The APS Overwrap Packager Machine, which packages vials/injectable and unit dose bigger items
• The Bulk Packager machines, which include the Euclid Cadet that packages bulk meds in unit-dose strips for manual pick stations and Euclid Punch Cadet that packages bulk meds into unit-dose robot-ready form
• Enter appropriate information, such as NDC, manufacturer, bar-code, lot #, expiration date, for each medication being packaged
• Complete an average daily production of at least 2,000 to 3,000 doses from all 3 machines
• Anticipate ups and downs of 'Robot Ready' stock inventory and prepare accordingly
• Restock the robot daily using the restocking report
• Interact with buyers from other campuses and coordinate pre-packaging for their needs
• Maintain bulk supply inventory by placing daily drug orders using the Repackaging Report and Wholesaler Reordering Report
• Run the packaging log detail report for each machine, print daily, and keep for the recommended length of time
• Maintain the utilization and efficiency of the robot
• Use the cell map adjustment report twice monthly, remove and/or add meds, rearrange rods as necessary, and ensure packaging is checked and verified by a Pharmacist
• Other duties as assigned