Medication Access Technician

About the Role

Under the supervision of the Medication Access Manager and guided by the policies and procedures of the Ambulatory and Outpatient Pharmacy Services, the Pharmacy Medication Support Specialist (MSS) facilitates prescription prior authorization (PA) and refill requests. This role involves obtaining, preparing and submitting the necessary forms for insurance authorizations, requesting information from insurance companies regarding possible alternative therapies, and providing patients with timely communications regarding the status of the PA. In addition, this position is also responsible in facilitating medication refills requests. Using a refill protocol, the MSS evaluates refill requests for adherence to the refill protocol criteria which includes reviewing a patient's medical record in APeX and contacting a patient for needed information. The MSS also performs medication benefits investigations and explores financial assistance options where applicable, to ensure patients have access to the medication they need, acting as the primary contact for all medication authorization and refill requests.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate prescription prior authorization (PA) and refill requests
• Obtain, prepare and submit necessary forms for insurance authorizations
• Request information from insurance companies regarding possible alternative therapies
• Provide patients with timely communications regarding the status of the PA
• Facilitate medication refill requests using a refill protocol
• Evaluate refill requests for adherence to refill protocol criteria, including reviewing patient medical records in APeX and contacting patients for needed information
• Perform medication benefits investigations
• Explore financial assistance options where applicable to ensure patients have access to needed medication
• Act as the primary contact for all medication authorization and refill requests

Required Qualifications

• Completion of a recognized/accredited Pharmacy Technician Training Program
• Minimum three (3) years' experience as a Pharmacy Technician or allied healthcare professional in a hospital, pharmacy, or other health care setting, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Licensed Pharmacy Technician by the California Board of Pharmacy and in good standing
• This position requires flexibility to orient and work at all UCSF Medical Center locations
• Strong computer skills and use of Microsoft Office
• Ability to prioritize work efficiently
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, writing skills, and ability to work effectively with a large, diverse population, including maintaining good relationships between the Pharmacy and Ambulatory clinics
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills
• Must be able to multitask and be flexible in changing work assignments at short notice
• Basic math skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Recent experience processing third-party billing, including prior authorization facilitation and refill authorization
• Bilingual in Spanish, Cantonese, and/or Russian
• Bachelor's degree in health or behavioral science
• Medical Assistant Certification
• Ability to use EMR and perform chart abstraction into EMR – specifically APeX
• Adaptable to learn new technologies including AI solutions