Pharmacy Technician- Per diem

Pharmacy Technician

At UMass Memorial Health, everyone is a caregiver regardless of their title or responsibilities. Exceptional patient care, academic excellence and leading-edge research make UMass Memorial the premier health system of Central Massachusetts, and a place where we can help you build the career you deserve. We are more than 20,000 employees, working together as one health system in a relentless pursuit of healing for our patients, community and each other. And everyone, in their own unique way, plays an important part, every day.

Under the direct supervision of a pharmacist, this position is responsible for the preparation, dispensing, and delivery of medications for patients. Completes other tasks associated with drug distribution processes, automated dispensing systems, packaging, IV systems, training, and scheduling.

Major Responsibilities:

• Answers telephone calls and triages requests from customers to the pharmacist staff.
• Triages window requests from customers.
• Delivers medications to the patient care areas and picks up copies of physician orders, return of medications, etc. Completes scheduled rounds on patient care areas.
• Assists with inventory management tasks which includes, but is not limited to, ensuring adequate inventory of supplies and materials, ordering, receiving and storing non-controlled medications from the wholesaler on a daily basis, storing medications in designated areas in the central pharmacy, IV room and anesthesia prep area, ensuring bin labels are visible and clear, segregating medications to appropriate storage bins, etc., and checking for expiration dating on medications on a consistent basis to assure medications do not leave pharmacy with short dating.
• Accurately packages unit dose medications with appropriate labeling information as outlined in policy and procedures to support Pharmacy distribution process including Pre-packing bulk medications and compounding ointments, creams, oral solutions, and other medications as needed.
• Under the supervision of a pharmacist, completes all assigned drug distribution tasks assigned.
• Under the supervision of a pharmacist, completes all necessary tasks associated with day- to-day operations of Pyxis distribution system including refilling medications, loading new medications, inventory maintenance, expiration dating, returning bin procedures, troubleshooting for nursing and pharmacy, customer service resolution for nursing and pharmacy, and controlled substance discrepancy resolution assistance for the pharmacist staff as needed.
• Assists the management team with inventory optimization of Pyxis on an ongoing basis.
• Identifies quality improvements and customer service improvements with Pyxis automation.
• Completes other distribution tasks as assigned by pharmacist.
• Trains colleagues and technical staff as needed.
• Under the supervision of a pharmacist, accurately completes all daily assignments for IV room distribution following USP 797 practice standards and pharmacy policy and procedures.
• Under the supervision of a pharmacist, completes all necessary tasks associated with day- to-day operations of IV Room distribution systems including patient specific IV preparation daily batch preparation, batch IV production for pharmacy prepared products, small volume parenterals, large volume parenterals, IV syringes, IV infusions, TPNs, and other patient specific IV preparation as needed.
• Completes quality control tasks, e.g., hood cleaning documentation, temperature logs, daily cleaning of IV room, etc., to comply with USP 797 practice standards.
• Complies with all internal pharmacy documentation requirements as outlined in policy and procedures.
• Completes TPN production following internal policy and procedures with automated pumps and complies with all internal documentation requirements for preparing and dispensing.
• Completes chemotherapy production following internal policy and procedures.
• Completes IV distribution tasks as assigned by the pharmacist.
• Complete monthly nursing unit inspections as needed following pharmacy policy and procedures.
• Identifies safety, quality and workflow improvements as noted during the monthly nursing unit inspections.
• Acts as a liaison for pharmacy while delivering medications to the patient care areas.
• Troubleshoots drug distribution issues for nursing to ensure optimal patient care and minimal delays in care.
• Provides excellent customer service skills for nursing and pharmacy to assure optimal patient care with drug distribution.
• Identifies quality and efficiency improvement opportunities while on the patient care areas and brings suggestions to pharmacy management.
• Participates in the establishment of area and departmental goals and objectives.
• Sets and meets individual goals which contribute to team success.
• Participates on department and interdisciplinary teams to resolve problems and improve processes.

Standard Staffing Level Responsibilities:

• Complies with established departmental policies, procedures, and objectives.
• Attends variety of meetings, conferences, seminars as required or directed.
• Demonstrates use of Quality Improvement in daily operations.
• Complies with all health and safety regulations and requirements.
• Respects diverse views and approaches, demonstrates Standards of Respect, and contributes to creating and maintaining an environment of professionalism, tolerance, civility and acceptance toward all employees, patients and visitors.
• Maintains, regular, reliable, and predictable attendance.
• Performs other similar and related duties as required or directed.

All responsibilities are essential job functions.

Position Qualifications:

• License/Certification/Education:
• Required: 1. High School diploma 2. Licensed as a Registered Pharmacy Technician or Pharmacy Intern by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy Preferred: 1. National Pharmacy Technician certification
• Experience/Skill:
• Required: 1. Baseline understanding of automated dispensing systems, technology and IV room processes 2. Strong attention to detail 3. Ability to comply with all department and hospital policy and procedures 4. Ability to effectively interact and problem solve with other team members of the pharmacy department 5. Excellent customer service and communication skills 6. Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing 7. Good interpersonal skills, especially related to health care colleagues 8. Ability to read, write and speak clearly in English
• Preferred: 1. Minimum one (1) year of experience in a hospital pharmacy

Unless certification, licensure or registration is required, an equivalent combination of education and experience which provides proficiency in the areas of responsibility listed in this description may be substituted for the above requirements.

Department-specific competencies, including age-specific competencies and their measurements, will be developed and maintained in the individual departments. The competencies will be maintained and attached to the departmental job description. Responsible managers will review competencies with position incumbents.

Physical Demands and Environmental Conditions:

Work is considered sedentary. Position requires work indoors in a normal office environment.

Addendum for Milford:

License/ Education/ Certification

• Required: 1. High School diploma or equivalent 2. Massachusetts Pharmacy Technician license 3. Certification from a Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy-approved certifying body (Nation Healthcareer Association, or Pharmacy Technician Certification Board)

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

We're striving to make respect a part of everything we do at UMass Memorial Health for our patients, our community and each other. Our six Standards of Respect are: Acknowledge, Listen, Communicate, Be Responsive, Be a Team Player and Be Kind. If you share these Standards of Respect, we hope you will join our team and help us make respect our standard for everyone, every day.

As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, UMass Memorial Health recognizes the power of a diverse community and encourages applications from individuals with varied experiences, perspectives and backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, gender identity and expression, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io. We will make every effort to respond to your request for disability assistance as soon as possible.