Pharmacy Technician I

About the role

Join an innovative, patient-focused culture dedicated to improving the health and quality of life for the communities we serve. This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in patients' lives through pharmacy operations in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

Responsibilities

Inpatient Pharmacy Technician

• Perform pharmacy technician duties under direct pharmacist supervision in a hospital inpatient pharmacy.
• Engage in medication preparation, distribution, inventory management, and quality assurance activities, including compliance with USP 797/800 Sterile Compounding standards.
• Compound sterile medications under immediate pharmacist supervision (location-dependent).
• Ensure efficient and accurate daily functions in accordance with hospital standards and New York State law.
• Participate in medication distribution to patients, stock areas, and clinics.
• Refill and maintain automated dispensing systems, including monitoring and rotating expiring medications.
• Utilize electronic clinic inventory systems to prepare stock orders for clinics and health centers.
• Package unit dose medications and prepare accurate medication labels.
• Monitor patients' own medications and ensure proper handling.
• Assist pharmacists as requested and work cooperatively within the department and with other departments.
• Answer phones and direct calls according to departmental policy.
• Train new pharmacy technicians.
• Monitor medication and supply inventory, initiate ordering, and ensure continuous supply availability.
• Participate in departmental quality assurance and quality improvement processes.
• Perform daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning and disinfecting procedures in sterile and non-sterile compounding areas.
• Utilize personal protective equipment and handle hazardous medications according to departmental policies.
• Monitor for expired or unusable medications and document quality assurance tasks.
• Follow departmental policies for removal, waste, and segregation of unusable medications.
• Identify and escalate non-conformities and occurrences in the pharmacy department and hospital.
• Assist with purchasing, receiving, and inventory control functions to meet patient medication needs.

Outpatient Pharmacy Technician

• Perform pharmacy technician duties under direct pharmacist supervision in community pharmacies.
• Provide excellent customer service in prescription intake, order entry, cash management, and telephone inquiries.
• Manage ordering and inventory control to meet patient medication needs.
• Place orders electronically and manually, review wholesaler catalogs for contractual agreements, and consult on 340b ordering.
• Order OTC medications to ensure adequate stock.
• Evaluate vendor shortages, select alternative products, and inform supervisors of shortages.
• Contact other pharmacies for emergency or non-stock medication availability.
• Follow up on back orders and report ongoing issues to pharmacists or supervisors.
• Receive and process orders from wholesalers, ensuring correct inventory addition and storage.
• Designate hazardous medications according to USP 800 standards and departmental guidelines.
• Respond to safety alerts and recalls by removing recalled drugs and processing returns.
• Maintain inventory by checking levels, correcting discrepancies, and adjusting par levels.
• Check inventory monthly for outdated items and reconcile returns with credits.
• Add new drugs into the QS1 drug file accurately, including ordering numbers, pars, and pricing.
• Process prescriptions, including insurance adjudication, demographic collection, and handling electronic prescriptions.
• Alert pharmacists to DUR, allergy warnings, or drug interactions.
• Retrieve, count, and label medications accurately and timely.
• Handle hazardous medications according to departmental policies.
• Answer telephones, assist patients, and refer them to appropriate departments as needed.
• Contact insurance companies for claim processing assistance.
• Manage cashier functions, including processing payments, reconciling daily receipts, and handling petty cash variances.
• Package and mail completed prescriptions, maintaining required documentation.
• Maintain counseling logs as required by law and offer pharmacist counseling for each transaction.
• Verify patient identity using date of birth or other acceptable identifiers.
• Follow up on unclaimed prescriptions and return them to stock after 14 days.
• Maintain a clean and organized work area.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED (preferred).
• Minimum 1 year of Pharmacy Technician experience (preferred).
• Successful mastery of required tasks and operations within six months of employment.
• Progression to Technician II required within 6 months, if required by primary location.

Skills

• Computer skills.
• Interacting with people.
• Attention to detail.
• Accountability.

Physical Requirements

• Heavy Work - Exerting up to 100 lbs. of force occasionally, and/or up to 50 lbs. of force frequently, and/or up to 20 lbs. of force constantly to move objects.
• Frequent balancing, climbing, crouching, typing/clerical/dexterity, grasping, hearing, kneeling, lifting, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, seeing/monitor/computer use, standing, stooping, talking, visual acuity, walking, and fit testing.
• Occasional exposure to bodily fluids/bloodborne hazards.

Working Conditions

• Occasional exposure to extreme temperatures and noise.
• Occasional travel may be required.

Benefits

• Paid time off, including company holidays, vacation, and sick time.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance and disability protection.
• Retirement benefits with employer match.

Pay

Salary is based on qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, training, and fair market evaluation based on industry standards.