Pharmacy Technician, Inpatient and Outpatient

Pharmacy Technician Duties

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

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 chemical, 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 (sterile 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.

Correctly interprets physician orders, selects, and measures appropriate ingredients, mixes ingredients in a safe and effective manner, inspects the final product for accuracy, labels the product, maintains records of the manufacturing process, and attains a final check by a pharmacist.

Uses standard protocols to determine an accurate expiration date for each preparation.

Proficiently operates equipment including but not limited to balances and mixing machines in the routing of manufacturing pharmaceutical products.

Answers questions from pharmacy and non-pharmacy personnel 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 training and orientation of new staff technicians, interns, and students. Assumes an active role in the overall pharmacy-training program consisting of students, externs, interns, residents, and professional and non professional staff members.

Demonstrates the ability to work under a variety of circumstances to maximize group productivity and quality.

Performs duties of all lower grade technicians as needed.

Participate in performance improvement initiatives for pharmacy.

Assists in quality improvement activities by participating in assessment and action teams that will improve service as assigned.

Assists higher level technicians as needed.

Complies with all VHA, Medical Center, and Pharmacy regulations, directives, policies, and procedures.

Work Schedule: Various Tours of Duty including weekdays, weekends, and holidays per the needs of the Pharmacy Service.

Functional Statement #: 71157F