Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technician

The Pharmacy Technician works within the pharmacy and performs the full range of pharmacy technician functions in support of Pharmacy Service operations. These functions include processing medication orders, controlled substance processing, inventory management, sterile product compounding, and unit dose processing. The pharmacy provides services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so the incumbent may work evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, etc. Some of the major duties of this position include, and are not limited to:

• Utilizes knowledge of VHA, Durham VA Healthcare Systems and Pharmacy Service regulations and policies concerning pharmaceutical practices in performing day to day functions.
• Performs duties involved in all facets of unit dose drug distribution, in all areas of the inpatient pharmacy.
• Conducts ward inspections by inspecting inpatient wards areas for proper storage of medications and documents findings on inspection report form.
• Uses specialized equipment to package and/or dispense medications and provides required equipment maintenance.
• Performs substantially all sterile technical operations in the IV rooms of the pharmacy, which serves all areas of the hospital. Based on usage rates, the incumbent maintains levels on bulk intravenous fluids that are stocked in assigned areas. The incumbent receives, reviews, interprets, and prioritizes doctor's orders for IV medications after verified by a pharmacist, informs the clinical pharmacist of any perceived questionable orders, prepares labels, selects IV additives and containers, calculates the amount of medications to be used, mixes and/or prepares IV medications, checks prepared IV admixture for particulate matter and affixes labels to containers for clinical pharmacist checking.
• Strictly adheres to aseptic technique procedures and performs normal preventive maintenance for the special IV equipment, such as the laminar air flow hood and data processing hardware.
• Prepares complicated and uncomplicated parenteral admixtures in the form of large volume, small volume, infusion syringes, ophthalmic and other complex pharmaceuticals (e.g. total parenteral nutrition).
• Triages patient/Medical center employees' inquiries.
• Selects/prepares medications in proper dosage sizes, forms, quantities, and delivers to patient care/ward/clinic locations, after clinical pharmacist checking.
• Fills unit dose medications from storage bins to individual patient drawers, transferring cassettes from pharmacy to medication carts on the nursing station as assigned.
• Responds appropriately to inquiries from professional staff, patients, and outside parties, other health care professionals, and refers professional-technical questions received to clinical pharmacists.

Work Schedule: Rotating Shifts, including weekends, evenings and holidays

Telework: Position not eligible

Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required