Pharmacy Technician, Research

About the role

The Pharmacy Department at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute places emphasis on the values of reliability, professionalism, cooperation, teamwork, communication, positivity and inclusiveness. The Pharmacy Technician III, Research is responsible for providing technical support to research pharmacy operations under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist.

Responsibilities

• Fills medication orders according to policy, including proficiency with the most complex preparations.
• Ensures timely completion of medication orders and/or supplies.
• Utilizes multiple systems such as EHR (Electronic Health Record), Inventory Management Systems and other clinical research systems to complete and document duties.
• Troubleshoots as necessary.
• Maintains the Pharmacy inventory: sorting, stocking, rotation of stock, expiration date managing, and cycle counting.
• Troubleshoots inventory discrepancies.
• Performs and documents quality control steps as required.
• Performs cleaning of sterile and non-sterile areas of the pharmacy as assigned.
• Conducts the training and orientation of new staff members in any area.
• Communicates and escalates issues or problems.
• Provides ongoing support to more junior staff.
• Creates and revises training documentation for staff education.
• Participates in department meetings and functions to promote a successful and efficient pharmacy workgroup.
• May be assigned to cross-cover other locations or areas (e.g. materials management, outpatient, infusion, clean rooms, etc.).

Qualifications

• Minimum Education: High School graduate or currently enrolled in an accredited entry-level degree program for Pharmacy or a related field.
• Minimum Experience: 5 years of pharmacy technician experience, with at least 2 years sterile compounding experience including 1 year of hazardous compounding experience required. For outpatient, at least 2 years of experience in an outpatient or research pharmacy.
• License/Certification/Registration: Massachusetts Board of Pharmacy Registration as a Pharmacy Technician required. National Pharmacy Technician Certification (PTCB or ExCPT) required. With ExCPT certification, PTCB must be obtained within 1 year of hire date.

Skills

• Ability to accurately perform complex pharmaceutical calculations.
• Ability to utilize pharmacy technology systems.
• Full proficiency in aseptic technique and the compounding of sterile products.
• Full proficiency in compounding of non-sterile products.
• Ability to independently troubleshoot issues and assist in resolution or escalation to the appropriate resource.
• Ability to effectively work within a collaborative team-focused environment.
• Ability to train and orient new staff.
• Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills (ability to analyze information objectively and make a reasoned judgment).
• Strong attention to detail.
• Full proficiency in utilizing clinical research platforms/systems.
• Demonstrated analytical skills and critical thinking.
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements for clinical trials.