Pharmacy Technician

Job Category:

Allied Health Work Shift/Schedule:

8 Hr Morning - Afternoon

Northeast Georgia Health System is rooted in a foundation of improving the health of our communities.

About the Role:

Job Summary

Under the direct supervision of a Staff Pharmacist, processes and fills physician orders. The employee is able to take care of patients in all age ranges. Employee performs duties in accordance with population specific guidelines and adheres policy and procedures of regulatory agencies. With a valid intern license, may also perform duties of a pharmacy intern as allowed by the Georgia State Board of Pharmacy. Serves as a liaison between pharmacy and nursing to foster medication reaching the patient in the required time frame. Also performs medication related duties on the nursing unit to meet the needs of nursing unit, the pharmacy and regulatory agencies.

Minimum Job Qualifications
•   Licensure or other certifications: Current registration with the Georgia Board of Pharmacy required. CPhT required within 6 months of hire.
•   Educational Requirements: High School Graduate or GED.
•   Minimum Experience: One (1) - three (3) years of related experience required. In lieu of hospital experience, pharmacy tech school or pharmacy retail experience may be considered.
•   Other:
Preferred Job Qualifications
•   Preferred Licensure or other certifications:
•   Preferred Educational Requirements:
•   Preferred Experience: Hospital experience of at least one (1) year.
•   Other:
Job Specific and Unique Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
•   Must be able to perform Entry Level pharmacy technician functions efficiently and proficiently
•   Basic math aptitude, ability to measure accurately, interpret instructions and carry them out
•   Good computer skills
•   Ability to organize workload and interpret priorities, attention to detail
•   Ability to effectively communicate with pharmacy leadership, management, and colleagues
•   Able to follow instructions from pharmacists, pharmacy leadership and management
•   Ability to follow good compounding practices and protocol and USP 797 procedures
Essential Tasks and Responsibilities
•   Take ownership of problems by reporting and troubleshooting issues with vendors, hospital pharmacy staff, or other personnel to achieve desired outcomes.
•   Work to ensure medication reaches the patient in the required time frame, often serving as a liason between pharmacy and nursing.
•   Perform quality assurance methods to ensure medications are prepared, packaged, and stored under guidelines provided by pharmacy department and regulatory agencies.
•   Follow department policies and procedures to minimize and detect any medication discrepancies
•   Follow phone etiquette to ensure effective communication.
•   Process credits upon return to pharmacy.
•   Utilize computer system to answer nursing questions about medication orders as appropriate.
•   Refill crash carts and trays per departmental procedures for pharmacist to check.
•   Adhere to established procedures for receiving and stocking wholesale orders.
•   Document required tasks per department procedures (i.e. temperature checks, cleaning tasks, etc) as appropriate
•   Handle and maintain security of controlled substances as specified by regulatory agencies and NGMC pharmacy department policies.
•   Process and label IV medications. Distributes IV medications to correct area within established time frame without error.
•   Communicate effectively with physicians, nursing staff, pharmacy personnel, and other hospital staff.
•   Obtain and process non-formulary medications per NGMC pharmacy department policies.
•   Check assigned areas for expired medications and conduct monthly inspections for accrediting body readiness.
•   Fill dispensing cabinet requests in an accurate and timely manner. Process automated dispensing cabinet fills for nursing areas. Deliver cabinet fills in automation software. Prepare and sort automated dispensing cabinet manual picks to enable pharmacist to check efficiently. Deliver medications to automated dispensing cabinets in a timely manner. Utilize barcode scanning technology to eliminate inaccurate placement in cabinet. Ensure narcotic envelope contains the correct quantity before addition to cabinet inventory to prevent future discrepancies. Process medication returns from nursing units.
•   Assist with trouble shooting and customer service issues concerning automated dispensing cabinets.
•   Report automated dispensing cabinet issues to vendor, assist with trouble shooting and repair of automated dispensing cabinets when needed.
•   Refer clinical, patient-care related questions to a pharmacist.
•   Utilize knowledge of pharmacy policy and procedures to effectively answer questions.
•   Perform all other special projects and duties as assigned.
•   Volunteer and assist as needed during staffing emergencies and other occurrences that may create unusual staffing needs.
•   Report all variances to the pharmacist and document in risk management reporting software.
•   Contribute to the productive and effective operation of the department.
•   Perform other duties and functions as assigned.
•   Train pharmacy personnel. Provide constructive feedback to appropriate supervisor or manager on employee performance.
•   Keep work space cleaned and organized.
•   Responsible for fully reading and complying with department email(s) (i.e.: communication) upon receipt of such communication. Review email at a minimum of once per shift.
•   Complies with NGMC and pharmacy policies and procedures.
•   Receive and respond to direction from members of leadership.
Area/Unit Specific Essential Tasks and Responsibilities: Nursing Unit
•   Retrieve routine medication from Pneumatic tube and deliver to the correct nurse server. Deliver refrigerated medications to the refrigerator. STAT & NOW medications are delivered to the nurse responsible for the patient's care.
•   Resolve and document missing medications. Responsible for ordering missing medications from central pharmacy and deliver to the appropriate location. Verify the quantity sent is sufficient until delivery of next cartfill.
•   Facilitate transfer of medication for patients moving on or off the unit.
•   Verify that cartfill medications are placed in the correct nurse server or patient drawer.
•   Check refrigerator for discontinued IV medications or expired medications and facilitate their return to the pharmacy for reuse or destruction.
•   Retrieve credit medication and return to the pharmacy for return to stock.
•   Assist with automated dispensing cabinet restocking.
•   Perform duties to foster timely preparation of IV admixtures.
•   Serve as pharmacy representative to meet the customer service needs of the patient and nursing. Communicate to nursing professionally and courteously to expedite delivery of medications. Perform as a knowledge source for nursing on automated dispensing cabinet issues. Efficiently and promptly assist nursing with medication related issues.
Area/Unit Specific Essential Tasks and Responsibilities: AcuDose
•   Working with the Automation Coordinator, processes, fills, and stocks medications to supply automated dispensing cabinets. Assists nursing with customer service issues related to automated dispensing cabinets. Performs audits to satisfy regulatory agencies requirements. Assist Automation Coordinator/Pharmacy Manager with installation and implementation of new dispensing cabinets.
Area/Unit Specific Essential Tasks and Responsibilities: Medshelf/Other Inventory
•   Monitor Medshelf/other medication inventory for out-of-date medications by performing scheduled cycle counts. Work with pharmacy leadership as necessary to identify and resolve formulary issues
Area/Unit Specific Essential Tasks and Responsibilities: IV Room/Barrier Isolator
•   Prepare IV medications and fluids using good aseptic techniques. Use very strong, clean IV technique as observed by a Pharmacist.
•   Set up IV orders to process in organized batches. Prepare the components of hyperalimentations, epidurals, and other special compounds accurately for Pharmacist's verification.
•   Maintain clean IV storage/work area and ensure that medications and supplies are readily available when needed. Notify Environmental Services or Plant Operations when IV area requires extra attention.
•   Manage/order IV stock and supplies each day. Take ownership of problems and report to appropriate hospital staff to achieve desired outcome. Involve supervisory personnel when necessary to reach goal.
•   Recycle IV medications and perform quality assurance checks to assure reduction of waste while providing quality patient care.
•   Clean laminar flow hoods/barrier isolator, change IV fluids and sets, and other required tasks, record these procedures according to department policy with minimal discrepancies. Assist IV Pharmacist in other quality assurance checks according to department policy.
•   Ability to follow good compounding practices and protocol and USP 797 procedures. Responsible for required USP 797 and other QI tasks and documenting as appropriate (Simplifi, etc.) click apply for full job details