Infusion Services Technician

Infusion Services Technician

Under the general supervision of the Pharmacist, the Infusion Services Technician is responsible for preparing, packaging and dispensing medications as prescribed and ordered by a licensed physician. The Infusion Services Technician also assists with inventory control, maintains required records, and bills accurately for infusion services.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Infusion Services Technician Duties:

• Prepares, packages and labels prescriptions as ordered by the physician and directed by the physician and in compliance with infusion policies/procedures and federal/state regulations.
• Prepares, labels, and arranges admixed IV's and all sterile products, including cytotoxic drugs, chemotherapy, investigational drugs, and IV solutions using aseptic technique in the vertical hood by drug type for verification.
• Prepares IV medications and primary solutions using aseptic technique in the vertical flow hood, reconstituting medications, calculating correct volumes, and initialing and dating any partial containers.
• Prepares chemotherapeutic medications using aseptic technique in the vertical flow hood.
• Prepares investigational drugs as directed.
• Packages nonsterile products in single doses as needed.
• Initials all labels and other required documentation.
• Delivers medications to the medical oncology nursing unit after appropriate verification.
• Restocks IV solutions, needles and syringes, injectable drugs and computer and clerical supplies.
• Assists with inventory control.
• Assesses inventory of medications and supplies daily.
• Notifies appropriate party of any low supply items daily and as needed for reordering.
• Verifies items received per invoice and notifies appropriate party of any discrepancies.
• Puts away drug deliveries and other supplies in a timely manner.
• Orders supplies and maintains inventory.
• Utilizes EPIC Willow system to dispense and document work.
• Maintains cleanliness of vertical hood, including regular cleaning at the end of each shift.
• Maintains appropriate records related to medication distribution and dispensing in EPIC.
• Assists with maintenance of ambulatory pumps, including cleaning and battery replacement.
• Assists during emergency situations, such as adverse reactions to chemotherapy infusions, and retrieves necessary medications and supplies as needed.
• Discards chemotherapy waste and other biohazardous substances in approved containers and according to infusion procedures. Prepares biohazardous waste for disposal from the facility.
• Serves as a resource person for physicians, nurses and other staff regarding infusion issues and questions. Recognizes situations that exceed technician authority (e.g. drug information) and refers to appropriate personnel.
• Maintains a safe and efficient working environment in the infusion services area by maintaining a clean work area and following all regulations in accordance with regulatory agencies and infusion policies.
• Complies with established personal protective equipment requirements necessary for protection against exposures to chemotherapeutic agents, blood and body fluids, other potentially infectious materials, chemical disinfectants, and other hazardous substances.

Professional Communication:

• Maintains confidentiality in matters relating to all aspects of employment, including patient/family/significant other confidentiality.
• Interacts with patients/family/significant others with a variety of developmental and sociocultural backgrounds.
• Maintains professional relationships and conveys relevant information to other members of the health care team.
• Internal Contacts: Pharmacist, physicians, nursing staff, office staff, other Infusion Services staff, billing representatives, etc., and staff at other CCSI facilities.
• External Contacts: Pharmacies, hospitals, pharmaceutical representatives, etc.
• Relays information appropriately over telephones, facsimiles, pagers, and other communication devices, and follows-through as needed.
• Communicates appropriate information to physicians, supervisors, and/or other members of the healthcare team as needed, and follows-through on physician orders and requests.

Teamwork:

• Works collaboratively as a health care team member.
• Provides infusion services related information as needed to those who require information, including physicians, nursing staff, radiation staff, and other Infusion Services staff.
• Assists with tasks necessary for the efficient and effective operation and organization of the Infusion Services area.
• Maintains positive attitude with patients, family/significant others and coworkers.

Professional Development:

• Attends staff meetings and mandatory inservices.
• Responsible for maintaining/meeting own continuing education requirements.
• Contributes to the quality of patient care and participates in quality improvement initiatives.

Other Duties

Performs other duties as assigned.

Education/Qualifications

High school graduate or equivalent. Current licensure with the State of Illinois as a Pharmacy Technician preferred. Must take EPIC training and successfully pass required tests. Previous experience: One to three years as a pharmacy technician or other applicable experience. Prefer one year IV compounding experience. Prefer hospital or home health pharmacy experience. Prefer oncology pharmacy experience.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Knowledge of basic infusion/pharmacy procedures and equipment. Knowledge of metric system. Knowledge of drug and medical nomenclature. Knowledge of infusion/pharmacy medication order systems. Knowledge and skills to prepare and dispense drugs and medications. Knowledge of safety precautions and procedures related to exposure to chemotherapy and hazardous substances, blood and other potentially infectious materials. Verbal and written English communication skills for safe and effective patient care and to meet documentation standards. Eye, hand, and auditory coordination. Ability to operate office equipment, including telephones, PCs, copiers, facsimiles, etc. Ability to use infusion/pharmaceutical compounding equipment for compounding sterile and non-sterile products. Ability to maintain inventory of drugs and supplies. Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work meeting time constraints and with moderate direct supervision. Ability to judge the appropriate action in response to changes, circumstances or problems. Ability to work under pressure with time constraints; ability to meet deadlines and work with frequent interruptions. Ability to maintain professional attitude at all times. Ability to function in a sometimes demanding and fast-paced work environment related to changing patient needs, including work with patients with acute, chronic, and complex disease processes and those who are dying. Understands errors in processing, preparation or dispensing of infusion related pharmaceuticals may delay treatment of patients and/or cause adverse effects, including death. Understands and practices patient confidentiality. A positive attitude towards health care team members and diverse patient populations.

Physical Requirements Of Job

Standing, walking, sitting, carrying, pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, stooping, squatting, crouching, twisting, reaching, handling, kneeling, and wrist and digital dexterity. Speaking, hearing, and visual acuity to receive and interpret instructions; communicate with patients and other health care professionals; use telephone system; and operate infusion/pharmacy and general office equipment. Manual dexterity to prepare and dispense drugs and medications. Concentrated mental/visual acuity, corrected vision to work with detail material, and ability to recognize clear liquids, turbid solutions, and chemical reactions. Frequent, prolonged periods of sitting or standing in order to prepare drugs and medications. Frequent bending and reaching. Physical stamina required to endure long periods of preparing drugs and medications. Exerting force (frequently up to 10 pounds and occasionally up to 20 pounds or more) to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including infusion supplies, etc. Able to move quickly from place to place on occasion. Possible driving.

Mental Demands

Must be able to work under stress and adapt to changing conditions. Must be able to respond to emergency situations in a calm, professional manner.

Working Conditions

Infusion Services environment. Frequent work interruptions. Job duties involve frequent potential for exposure to chemotherapy and other hazardous substances, chemical disinfectants, etc., and limited exposure to blood and body fluids. Special protective equipment must be used for required preparations of hazardous substances and spill cleanup.

Benefits

Health insurance, HSA Option, Dental insurance, Paid Time Off (PTO), Sick Time, Vision insurance, 401(K) w/ match & profit sharing, Life Insurance, Short- & Long-Term Disability