Pharmacy Technician - Contingent

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Education: Requires high school diploma or equivalent. Completion of a formal Pharmacy Technician educational program and/or completion of an Associate's Degree preferred.
• Experience: Previous pharmacy experience, hospital-based pharmacy experience preferred. Formal Pharmacy Technician program experiential education may be considered in lieu of work experience.
• Licensure: Licensure in the State of Michigan is required.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Reads and interprets physician's medication orders, assists with filling, processing and dispensing of medications, re-packages and labels medication, including bulk supplies, with final check performed by a pharmacist.
• Maintains cleanliness and aseptic technique while following established departmental compounding practices and procedures when mixing intravenous admixtures including IVPBs, large volume parenterals, and total parenteral nutrition, if necessary.
• Prior to performing drug preparation proven competency while working aseptically in a horizontal or vertical laminar (biological safety cabinet) flow hood using aseptic technique is required. Adheres to USP 797/USP 800 Guidelines.
• Delivers controlled substances and other medications to nursing units' automated medication dispensing cabinets (ADC).
• Delivers other medication, IV solutions and all necessary forms throughout the hospital on a regularly scheduled basis to patient care areas.
• Prepares medications and subsequently loads and unloads medication into ADC with appropriate bar code scanning.
• Fills inventory needs for nursing unit ADCs, non-cabinet stock, and fills unit dose drawers by placing the proper drugs in the bins according to the computerized patient profile.
• Safeguards the drug inventory process including rotation and restocking of drug dispensing areas with drugs and supplies needed to process patient medication orders.
• Ensures the maintenance of a clean and orderly work area.
• Answers phones according to established phone etiquette and directs calls to the proper personnel.
• Determines when phone calls or emergency situations need to be referred to a pharmacist.
• Completes nursing unit inspections, as assigned.
• Restocks crash cart trays and OCMCA boxes etc., as required in a timely manner. Alerts the pharmacists or pharmacy management of any discrepancies.
• Fills controlled substance orders and reconciles all discrepancies on a daily basis.
• Reports any discrepancies to the pharmacist or pharmacy management as appropriate.
• Maintains vigilance for potential drug diversion.
• When trained in oncology, prepares and packages chemotherapy medications and other medications requiring special handling for subsequent administration to patients under the supervision of the pharmacist.
• Safely handles and manipulates cytotoxic and other special drugs and incidental equipment used in drug preparation while working aseptically in a vertical flow hood or biological safety cabinet.
• Adheres to all safety measures for handling chemotherapy/hazardous materials.
• Maintains all necessary paperwork, legal documents, and records for all medications, including chemotherapy prepared for administration.
• Utilizes the pharmacy computer system, bills and/or credits patients for medication used.
• Maintains investigational drug research records and validates doses ordered using investigational drug protocols.