Inpatient Pharmacy Technician

Under direction of a licensed pharmacist, transcribe abbreviated & symbolized information from physician's orders to patient' medication profile, through manual & computer entry. Select & prepare medications, pharmaceutical products, & intravenous admixtures, including chemotherapeutic agents.  Assist in the dispensing & distribution of medications.  Maintain pharmacy merchandise & equipment.  Review medication cassettes for returned medication. Types unit dose & intravenous admixture labels. Transport pharmacy merchandise. 
 
Essential Functions:
- Review physician orders for completeness; transcribes appropriate information through computer order entry to generate patient medication profile by using pharmaceutical/ medical terminology, symbols, & abbreviations
- Select & prepare medications & pharmaceutical products by name & dosage listed on physician's order, place merchandise in proper container w/ correct label, make required notations & initials physician's orders
- Review physician's orders & patient medical record in order to determine whether allergies, sensitivities and/or reactions have been documented
- Assure allergy/sensitivity information is recorded on patient medication profile
- Alert pharmacist when prescribed medications may be contraindicated due to drug allergies, sensitivities, or interactions as indicated by information systems
- Fill unit dose mediation cassettes from patient medication administration records by dispensing the appropriate supply through calculations based on dosage, strength & frequency of administration; perform substitution of drug equivalents through knowledge of generic, trade, chemical drug names & approved therapeutic equivalents; reviews medication administration record for appropriateness (i.e., drug entry, dosing frequency & documentation of administration), & advises appropriate licensed personnel of discrepancies
- Maintain pharmacy inventory in designated areas; review pharmacy inventory for medications to be returned (i.e., expired products, deteriorated products, illegible labels, etc)
- Assist the pharmacist in preparation, distribution, & record-keeping of controlled substances, i.e., narcotics, hypnotics, barbiturates, etc (Class II, III, IV, V), governed by federal & state law
- Demonstrate the ability to distinguish controlled substances on physician's orders
- Prepare required pharmacy products; use mathematical calculations & conversions from apothecary & avoirdupois to metric system
- Prepare pharmacy products through an understanding of physical characteristics of medications, which require special packaging or handling
- Prepare sterile admixture products, such as intravenous piggybacks, large volume parenterals, syringes, chemotherapy, & bulk manufactured products using techniques governed by aseptic parenteral admixture policies & procedures
- Operate & maintain specialized pharmacy equipment (such as automated dispensing devices, IV compounding pumps, & unit dosing machines), cleaning, & performing periodic checks & adjustments
- Chart all scheduled maintenance designed to ensure sterility according to protocol
- Participate in the preparation, documentation, & scheduling of drug therapy for non-hospitalized patients
- Assist or perform the duties of the inventory control assistant/stock clerk to prioritize & maintain maximum work flow in the pharmacy
- Assist in medical office stocking-to-standards by organizing, replenishing stock, & preparing monthly recharges & credits
Basic Qualifications:
- Must possess current California Pharmacy Technician (CPT) registration
- Working knowledge of aseptic technique and ability to prepare sterile IV products
- Ability to learn and willingness to prepare chemotherapeutic agents in locations where chemotherapy agents are prepared
- Proficiency in oral and written English communication skills
- Ability to read, understand, and transcribe pharmaceutical information
- Working knowledge of current drug forms, strengths, generic and trade name traditional and current equivalents
- Requires working knowledge of, and the ability to become proficient in, the pharmacy computer system
- Knowledge of federal and sate laws and regulations regarding the provision of pharmaceutical services
- Must be able to stand for long periods of time, and communicate with co-workers and patients
- Ability to lift/transport 1-50 lbs.  Ability to do frequent bending, stooping, and reaching

Job Schedule:
Job Category: Pharmacy