Specialty Pharmacy Technician I - Per Diem

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community. Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

About the role

The Specialty Pharmacy Technician I at HMH plays a crucial role in ensuring the safe and accurate preparation of sterile medications for patients. You will work closely with pharmacists and other healthcare professionals to provide sterile compounding services while adhering to strict regulatory guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Sterile Compounding: Prepare sterile medications, including non-hazardous intravenous (IV) admixtures and other sterile products, following established protocols and in compliance with USP standards.
• Aseptic Technique: Maintain aseptic techniques throughout the compounding process to minimize contamination and ensure patient safety.
• Quality Assurance: Conduct routine cleaning, testing, and monitoring of compounding equipment, cleanrooms, and laminar airflow hoods to ensure optimal performance and adherence to quality standards.
• Inventory Management: Manage and monitor inventory of sterile compounding drugs and supplies, ensuring adequate stock levels and proper storage conditions.
• Documentation: Maintain accurate and detailed records of compounding activities, including batch records, logs, and quality control documentation.
• Collaboration: Collaborate effectively with pharmacists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to meet the needs of patients and ensure the timely delivery of medications.
• Safety Compliance: Adhere to all safety protocols and regulations, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and waste disposal.
• Continuous Learning: Stay current with industry trends, guidelines, and best practices related to sterile compounding through ongoing education and training.
• Prepare uncomplicated and/or complicated parenteral mixtures for non-hazardous preparations in the finished form such as large volume, small volume, infusion syringe, infusion pump or other modality as required.
• Deliver controlled substances and other medications to nursing units' automated medication dispensing cabinets (ADC) timely and accurately.
• Prepare medications and subsequently load and unload medication into ADC with appropriate bar code scanning.
• Support the drug inventory process including rotation and restocking of drug dispensing areas with drugs and supplies needed to process patient medication orders.
• Answer phones according to established phone etiquette and direct calls to the proper personnel.
• Fill controlled substance orders and reconcile all discrepancies on a daily basis.
• Fill and dispense unit dose, IV Admixtures, and/or chemotherapeutic medications under the direction of pharmacists.
• Maintain all necessary paperwork, legal documents, and records for all medications prepared for administration.
• Assume responsibility for performance of job duties in the safest possible manner, to ensure personal safety and that of coworkers, and to report all preventable hazards and unsafe practices immediately to management.
• Assist licensed pharmacists to formulate, label and dispense medications and other health care products in accordance with regulatory requirements.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adhere to HMH's Organizational and Managerial competencies and standards of behavior.

Requirements

• High School diploma, general equivalency diploma (GED), and/or GED equivalent programs.
• Minimum 1 year of hospital or similar experience.
• Strong knowledge of aseptic techniques, USP standards, and compounding equipment.
• Knowledge of relevant regulatory requirements and compliance standards.
• Attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining a sterile environment.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team.
• Proficiency in using software and computer applications such as EPIC.
• Strong knowledge of brand/generic medications.
• Minimum 1 year of sterile compounding experience (preferred).

Qualifications

• Pharmacy Technician License.
• PTCB or ExCPT Certification Required within 180 days of start of employment with the following exceptions: Hired prior to January 2024, Actively enrolled in ACPE accredited school of pharmacy / another allied health program or hired before 1-1-24.
• Cert Compounded Sterile Preparation Tech (preferred).
• NPTA Sterile Compounding Pharmacy Tech Certification (preferred).

Working Conditions

• Lifts a minimum of 5 lbs., pushes and pulls a minimum of 5 lbs. and stands a minimum of 4 hours a day.

Pay

Minimum rate of $25.77 hourly.

Benefits

In addition to our compensation for full-time and part-time (20+ hours/week) job positions, HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits. Certain positions may also be eligible for shift differentials for work performed on evening, night, or weekend shifts.