Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technician

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Accurately interpret, fills, and prepares prescriptions with appropriate medications and or medical supplies for pharmacist verification.

Maintains work areas in a clean and orderly condition by assuring that all stock and equipment are in assigned places and all shelves and counters are free of dust and debris in order to create optimal work areas.

Assures drugs and supplies are appropriately stored and secured according to USP and VA guidelines, including the storage of high-risk, look a-like sound a-like, hazardous, controlled substances, corrosive chemicals, flammable liquids, and refrigerated items.

Receives, checks, rotates, and places in stock all items received from pharmacy procurement section and identifies and reconciles any discrepancies to assure correct items have been received.

Utilizes automation dispensing equipment available to the pharmacy staff following all safety and QA procedures. Reports automation malfunctions timely the supervisor as appropriate.

Records expiration dates in the automatic prescription dispensing system upon receipt.

Perform monthly inspections to assigned areas to ensure proper storage of medications and soon to expired drugs are removed. Completes inspection reports in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications (non-sterile). This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used for final pharmacist verification.

a. Manufactures products requiring compounding, whether made in large batches for more than one patient or in small batches to fill a single prescription or drug order. b. Correctly interprets physician orders, selects, and measures appropriate ingredients, mixes ingredients in a safe and effective manner, inspects the final product for accuracy.

Unit Dose Medication Management:

The incumbent fills patient specific medication independently utilizing order copies or pick lists. Reviews and coordinates orders and pick lists to provide proper dosage making corrections as required. Inputs, updates and edits pick list to provide accurate and timely dispensing record.

The incumbent maintains unit dose inventories. Conducts monthly ward inspections. Provides proper labeling of stock in wards and clinics. Routinely monitors expiration dates of all stock and reports shortages and out-of-stock conditions as they are discovered.

The incumbent determines prepackaging needs for unit dose medications and ward stock products for use in clinics. Properly packages, labels, documents and verifies accuracy of finished product. Assures deliveries to inpatient areas and clinics are made timely.

Operates and maintains complicated pharmacy equipment including robotic dispensing, automated counting, and bar code re-labeling equipment.

Maintains inventory for the unit dose packaging system. Documents all medications used in the unit dose packaging system and verifies work of other technicians/students.

Compounds and/or reconstitutes oral or external medications. This includes calculating and converting to proper weights and measures the amount of drug or solution to be used.

After orders are reviewed by a pharmacist for therapeutic propriety, the technician reviews orders for technical accuracy and converts the order, if necessary, so that the item dispensed corresponds to the drug and dose ordered.

Monitors inventory needs, relays this information to appropriate pharmacy personnel. This also includes completing monthly storage inspections as assigned.

Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy staff regarding drug distribution. Identifies basic therapeutic problems, such as duplicate therapy with drugs in the same class, and alerts the pharmacist to the possible need for clinical intervention.

Assists in total quality improvement activities by participating in medical center and service process assessment and action teams and continually seeks to improve services.

Work Schedule: Part Time: Sunday-Saturday rotational 8 hour tours 6:00AM-6:30PM.

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.