Specialty Pharmacy Technician I - Hybrid

About the role

The best thing about this role is the opportunity to make a difference by improving the health of our patients. We are committed to helping the population we serve and our communities achieve optimum health and enjoy the best quality of life possible.

Responsibilities

• Inpatient Pharmacy Technician:

  • Performs pharmacy technician duties in hospital inpatient pharmacy.
  • Compounds sterile medications under immediate pharmacist supervision (when required by location).
  • Participates fully in medication distribution to patients, stock areas, and clinics.
  • Affords a wide variety of services for a smooth operation and efficiently functioning pharmacy department.
  • Works with the pharmacist to ensure that all daily functions are performed efficiently and accurately ensuring quality of patient care in accordance with hospital standards and New York State law.
  • Monitors patients own medications and assures proper handling.
  • Works cooperatively and within departmental standards within the Inpatient Pharmacy department and with other departments.
  • Quickly and calmly answers phones and directs calls according to departmental policy.
  • Willingly assists in the training of new pharmacy technicians.
  • Treats all customers, co-workers, and staff with courtesy and respect as observed by supervisor.
  • Relays inventory needs to appropriate person or initiates ordering as required.
  • Consistently monitors medication and supply inventory in pharmacy, storerooms, and IV room and utilizes departmental ordering processes to ensure continuous supply availability.
  • Consistently and fully participates in departmental quality assurance and quality improvement processes.
  • Performs daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning and disinfecting procedures in the sterile and non-sterile compounding areas (as required by location).
  • Consistently and accurately utilizes personal protective equipment in accordance with departmental policy (as required by location).
  • Consistently handles hazardous medications in accordance with departmental policies.
  • Regularly monitors for expired and/or unusable medications in pharmacy and hospital.
  • Consistently and accurately documents quality assurance tasks.
  • Follows departmental policy for removal, waste, and segregation of unusable medications.
  • Identifies and escalates non-conformities and occurrences in the pharmacy department and hospital.

• Outpatient Pharmacy Technician:

  • Performs pharmacy technician duties in community pharmacies.
  • Works with the pharmacist to ensure that all daily functions are performed efficiently and accurately ensuring quality of patient care in accordance with hospital standards and New York State law.
  • Provides excellent customer service and is involved in most aspects of the pharmacy including prescription intake, order entry, cash management, managing telephone inquiries, ordering and inventory management.
  • Orders appropriately; assuring correct storage and maintaining adequate inventory.
  • Placed orders to wholesalers electronically and manually as required.
  • Reviews wholesaler catalog to determine which drugs are available under contractual agreements.
  • Consults with manager and staff pharmacists regarding 340b ordering.
  • Orders OTC medications to ensure adequate stock available for patients.
  • Evaluates vendor shortages and selects alternative products when needed.
  • Communicates information to supervisor regarding shortages and expected return to stock.
  • Contacts other pharmacies as needed to determine if medication is available for patients in an emergency or non-stock situation.
  • Communicates information to the patient and pharmacist.
  • Places items on backorder as needed to ensure adequate supply.
  • Sends and Receives order from wholesalers electronically and physically.
  • Ensures all electronic orders are added into inventory correctly.
  • Ensures orders are accounted for and places products in the correct storage location.
  • Designates hazardous medications according to USP 800 standards and departmental guidelines.
  • Accounts for substitutions in ordering and follows all necessary steps to add into inventory.
  • Contacts wholesalers regarding missing medication, short dating or damages and follows through on credits or replacements.
  • Reconciles what was returned with credit received as noted by Pharmacist or Supervisor.
  • Adds new drugs into QS1 drug file accurately.
  • Adds appropriate wholesaler ordering numbers, pars, current inventory and pricing into the drug file.
  • Prescription Filling:
  • Receives prescriptions from patients or, in the case of electronically transmitted prescriptions, verifies receipt of prescriptions at patient request and informs pharmacist and staff that patient is waiting.
  • Obtains accurate demographics, drug allergies, and insurance information.
  • Profiles and processes prescription including insurance adjudication in a timely manner.
  • As necessary arranges for interdepartmental payment.
  • Processes electronic prescriptions, IVR refill requests and prescriber refill responses in a timely manner with accuracy.
  • Alerts pharmacist to any DUR, allergy warnings or drug interactions displayed in pharmacy processing software when processing prescriptions.
  • Retrieves appropriate medication from storage location as observed and checked by pharmacist.
  • Accurately counts medication and labels medication with pharmacy label in a timely manner and provides to pharmacist for checking.
  • Handles hazardous medications in accordance with departmental policies.
  • Answers telephone using appropriate telephone etiquette and responds to fax machine as noted and observed by pharmacist.
  • Assists patients both on the phone and in person with requested needs and obtains assistance from pharmacist when needed.
  • Refers patients to appropriate departments as needed.
  • Listens and responds to voicemails in a timely manner.
  • Contacts insurance companies and payers for assistance with claim processing as needed.

  • Cashier Function:

    • Responsible for the receipt of currency, checks and credit card payments coming into the pharmacy from patients and third parties.
    • Processes third party checks according to department procedures and provides required information to Accounts Receivable.
    • Responsible for a daily reconciliation accounting for cash, checks and credit card payments received according to departmental procedures.
    • Responsible for identifying and reviewing all cash drawer and petty cash variances, which will be investigated and reconciled at the time of cash-up as observed and supervised by pharmacist.
    • Responsible for packaging and retrieving completed prescriptions accurately.
    • Responsible for mailing designated prescriptions to patients and completes and maintains all required documentation.
    • Maintains electronic and paper counselling logs as required by law and third-party payers.
    • With each customer transaction, offers counseling by a pharmacist as required by state pharmacy regulations.
    • Ensures patient is receiving the correct prescription by verifying patient’s date of birth. Uses other acceptable patient identifiers if needed.
    • Follows up on unclaimed prescriptions and returns prescriptions to stock after 14 days.
    • Maintains a clean and organized work area in the pharmacy.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED, preferred.
• Minimum 1 year Pharmacy Technician experience, preferred.

Qualifications

• Successful mastery of required tasks and operations as taught and mentored by pharmacy staff by the end of 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.
• Hazards - Occasional bodily fluids/bloodborne exposure.
• Working Conditions - Occasional extreme temperatures, noise.

Travel

The job may require travel from time-to-time, but not on a regular basis.

Position

Hybrid - 12 Rhoads Drive, Utica, NY

Total Rewards

Bassett Healthcare Network’s commitment to our employees includes benefit programs carefully designed with the needs and values of all our employees in mind. Many of the benefits we offer are paid fully or in large part by Bassett. Our generous benefits offerings include:

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

And more!

Specific benefit offerings may vary by location and/or position.

Pay Range

Salary is based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, training, and fair market evaluation based on industry standards.