Pharmacy Aid

Pharmacy Aid

The incumbent performs various pharmacy-related duties for the Pharmacy Department, such as maintaining medications, ordering drugs from the supply department, and stocking medications.

This position is located in the Tohono O'odham Nation Sells Hospital in Sells, Arizona, or Health Care Centers. Incumbent provides pharmacy services as directed or assigned by a Registered Pharmacist. The incumbent is under the immediate supervision of the Pharmacist.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: (Depending on the area of assignment, an incumbent may not be required to perform some of the duties listed below):

• Order drugs from the supply department, except class II narcotics.
• Responsible for keeping the supply of medications needed on hand.
• Keeps narcotic files on nursing units and emergency room up to date
• Prepare off schedule drug requisitions as necessary and checks the status of backorder drugs.
• Perform some clerical duties in the absence of clerical staff.
• Responsible for collecting such data as may be required and writing such reports as may be assigned.
• Shelves and stores all incoming drugs and supplies, assuring that all items requiring special handling receive the same and maintain proper stock rotation.
• Provides warehousing activities to use the available storage space with maximum efficiency following the pharmacy storage plan.
• Stocks and maintains the emergency drug carts by utilizing a prepared checklist.
• Maintain an adequate working shelf stock of drugs in the pharmacy's dispensing area.
• Inventories and maintains the night drug cabinet stock in the emergency room.
• Responsible for maintaining the pharmacies and storage areas in a neat, clean, and orderly condition.
• Independently fills inpatient and outpatient drug requisitions from prepackaged stock containers and original stock containers.
• Check all nursing drug storage areas for expired drugs.
• Prepackage drugs from bulk containers to smaller outpatient dispensing units for use in filling prescriptions.
• Responsible for printing all labels used in the prepackaging process.
• Assists pharmacy staff in the filling of prescriptions.
• Routinely calls patients to the outpatient pharmacy consultation rooms.
• Bulk compounds, such as pharmaceutical preparations for ointment and other solutions.
• Operate computers for inpatient and outpatient pharmacies, both the hospital computer system and patient chart.
• Contribute to a team effort.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of the Tohono O'odham culture, customs, and traditions.
• Knowledge of the concepts, principles, practices, and techniques of pharmacy to provide direct patient services.
• Knowledge of State and Federal laws and regulations on pharmacy operations.
• Knowledge or ability to acquire knowledge, pharmaceutical nomenclature metric and apothecary systems of weights and measures, operation of various pharmaceutical apparatus and equipment, compounding techniques, and measurement of ingredients.
• Knowledge of appropriate resource and reference material and their use.
• Knowledgeable with the trade and generic names of drugs
• Must have the organizational and mathematical ability to prepare intravenous solutions.
• Ability to work independently in accordance with policies and guidelines.
• Ability to communicate with patients regarding the proper administration, use, actions, precautions, and storage of their medications.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or General Education Diploma.

Licenses, Certifications, Special Requirements:

• Upon recommendation for hire, a criminal background and a National FBI fingerprint check are required to determine suitability for employment, including a 39-month driving record.
• May require possessing and maintaining a valid driver's license (no DUIs or major traffic citations within the last three years).
• If required, must meet the Tohono O'odham Nation tribal employer's insurance requirements to receive a driver's permit to operate program vehicles.
• Based on the department's needs, incumbents may be required to demonstrate fluency in both the Tohono O'odham language and English language as a condition of employment.