Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technician

The Pharmacy Technician is responsible for performing assigned duties in support of the Pharmacy Department with an emphasis on accuracy, timeliness, and patient safety under the direct supervision of the Pharmacist.

Essential Functions:

• Ensures compliance with regulatory and accreditation requirements for self and within unit
• Manage hospital medication inventory, including ordering, stocking/organizing to prevent mispacks/medication errors, rotating stock to minimize expired products, proactively responding to drug shortages, maintaining appropriate stock levels of formulary medications, using drop ship and alternative suppliers appropriately, acquiring non-formulary medications, and oversee the disposition of expired products
• Manage PYXIS inventory, including accurate selection and loading of medications, organize according to ISMP safety initiatives, evaluate medication use trends to maintain appropriate par levels, ensure removal of expired/damaged products in a timely manner, and resolve discrepancies
• Maintain appropriate inventory records, including supplier invoices and Pyxis deliver/receive logs, as required by hospital policy and state and federal regulations
• Manage employee purchase functions, including ordering and charging
• Manage departmental medication requests in a timely manner, including ordering, documenting, communicating out of stock or shortages, and transferring medications to the department. Maintain an adequate supply of medications regularly used and requested by the departments
• Manage emergency supply inventory in carts/kits, including ordering and maintaining adequate supply, accurately restocking, organizing to ensure consistent placement and uniformity, documenting medications used for charge purposes, removal of expired/damage products, and performing monthly checks on each unit
• Accurately prepare medications in unit of use containers, ensuring correct labeling of medication, precise mixing of ingredients, and documentation as required by state regulations
• Prepare medication kits ensuring accuracy and completeness of each kit. Maintain adequate inventory of medications used in these kits, label appropriately, document expiration dates, and charge the department as indicated
• Assists in performing yearly Controlled-Substance inventory and annual hospital-wide medication inventory
• Record refrigerator temperatures daily, ensuring that medications are stored at appropriate temperatures. Maintain refrigerator temperature logs per hospital policy
• Always ensures and maintains patient confidentiality
• Manage and operate equipment safely and correctly
• Maintain regulatory requirements, including all state, federal and local regulations
• Comply with all organizational policies and standards regarding ethical business practices
• Communicate effectively with nursing, physicians, and ancillary services to meet the needs of these departments and maintain a positive working relationship and image of the pharmacy department
• Participate in performance improvement and continuous quality improvement activities
• Perform all tasks in a safe manner that is consistent with company policies, as well as state and federal laws
• Performs other related duties as assigned to support the hospital

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of pharmacology principles and procedures and the laws and regulations pertaining to the receipt, storage, and dispensation of drugs.
• Ability to be flexible, organized and function under stressful situations
• Ability to maintain a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information; responding to requests; building rapport; participating in team problem-solving methods
• Ability to complete additional educational requirements as assigned by due dates
• Annual employee health requirement as established by the facility
• Annual competences as required by the facility

Education and Experience:

• Certified with the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board
• Currently registered as a pharmacy technician with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy; registration must remain active and unencumbered while employed
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certified or must be obtained within thirty (30) days of hire