Bullhook Community Health Center (BCHC) is an equal opportunity employer. BCHC shall, upon request, provide reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities.
Job Title: Certified Pharmacy Technician
Department: Pharmacy
Supervisor: Pharmacist in Charge
Supervises: N/A
Salary Range: $34,320 - $48,932 DOE
Job Overview: This position Is responsible for assisting in the operation of the pharmacy department. Additional job-related responsibilities throughout the facility may be assigned as necessary.
Essential Functions (Major Duties Or Responsibilities)
An individual must be able to successfully perform the position's essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations.
The general duties of the pharmacy technician are perform all duties under the direct supervision of a pharmacist
- The primary purpose of the pharmacy technician is to expedite the processing of prescriptions including
- Obtain necessary patient information
- Perform data entry
- Process prescription refills
- Obtain appropriate medication(s) from stock
- Count tablets/capsules or pour liquids in appropriate quantities
- Place medications into appropriate container(s) and affix prescription labels and auxiliary labels
- Assist the pharmacist in preparing and reconstituting medications
- Answer the phone and direct calls to the pharmacist if appropriate (new prescriptions from a prescriber, medical questions, judgement decisions)
- Greet all patients and customers
- Check out customers at the point of sale
- Complete necessary paperwork
- Manage inventory
- Clean pharmacy
The General Responsibilities Of The Pharmacy Technician Are
- Maintain the highest level of customer service
- Follow all pharmacy policies and procedures
- HIPAA
- Fraud, waste, and abuse
- Continuous quality improvement
- False claims
- Anti-kickback
- OSHA
- Blood borne pathogens
All Other Policies And Procedures
- Process all filing, accounting, and bookkeeping functions as necessary per the pharmacy manager and company accounting manager
- Perform daily housekeeping, cleaning, and sanitation programs per BCHC pharmacy guidelines
- Maintain the highest level of professionalism in dress, personal appearance, and grooming (per BCHC standards)
- Adhere to all cash register and point of sale policies set forth by the BCHC pharmacy
Prescription Processing Functions
The general process is:
- Prescription intake- receive the prescription and necessary information from the patient including name, address, telephone number, date of birth, allergies, and gender.
- May need to obtain additional information including disease state(s) and a comprehensive medication list.
- Data entry- accurately enter the patient information, insurance information, and prescription information into the pharmacy software system
- Drug utilization review- notify the pharmacy of any alerts that are prompted by the pharmacy software. The alerts could be but are not limited to:
- Therapeutic duplication
- Over-utilization or under-utilization
- Drug-drug interactions
- Incorrect drug dosage or duration of treatment
- Drug-disease contraindications
- Clinical misuse/abuse
- Counting and filling- take the appropriate medication off the shelf, count the medication, place the medication in a vial, and label the vial.
- The pharmacist will perform the final review of the prescription. Once the pharmacist has placed the prescription in the checked (completed) area, the prescription(s) is placed in a clear bag and placed in the will call area.
- Dispensing at the point of sale- provide the medication(s) to the patient at the register.
- Verify the patient’s name, date of birth, and medications being picked up.
- Notify the pharmacist if the patient wishes to receive medication counseling or if the pharmacist marked the prescription(s) as needing consultation.
Prescription Drug Ordering
As needed, the technician will order non-controlled and controlled drugs from drug wholesalers to replenish pharmacy stock.
Record Retrieval
The pharmacy technician may retrieve prescription files, patient information, and other records as needed to perform job functions. If hard copies are retrieved, the technician will file them back away when the files are no longer needed.
Confidentiality of Patient Information
All patent information is confidential and should not be used or disclosed for any reasons other than those authorized by the BCHC HIPAA compliance program.
Prescription Refill and Renewal Authorization
The pharmacy technician may process refill requests from patients and obtain authorization from the prescribing practitioners to renew prescriptions (refills).
Pharmacy Automated Systems
The pharmacy technician may perform all permitted steps in the process for utilizing the adherence strip packager for filling prescriptions. The pharmacist will perform the final review of all prescription packs.
Continuous Quality Improvement
- The pharmacy maintains a continuous quality improvement program to identify and evaluate quality related events.
- A quality related event is inappropriate dispensing or administration of a prescribed medication.
- A variation from the prescription order including but not limited to incorrect drug, incorrect drug strength, incorrect dosage form, incorrect patient, or inadequate/incorrect labeling or directions.
- A failure to identify and manage under and over utilization, therapeutic duplications, drug-disease contraindications, drug-drug interactions, incorrect drug dose or duration of drug treatment, drug-allergy interactions, or clinical abuse/misuse.
Other Pharmacy Technician Requirements
- A pharmacy technician can manage pharmacy operations for up to 30 minutes in the absence of a pharmacist (during that time certain pharmacy tasks cannot be performed).
- A pharmacy technician must wear a name tag always identifying him or herself as a pharmacy technician while working. His or her license must be displayed in the pharmacy.
- A pharmacy technician may only perform tasks that do not require professional judgement.
- The supervising pharmacist is responsible for all actions of the pharmacy technician.
Physical Activities
The following physical activities are necessary to perform on or more essential functions of this position:
- Observes associate, customer, or supplier behavior
- Enters and locates information on computer
- Communicates effectively in person or by using telecommunication equipment
- Creates documents, reports, etc. using a writing instrument such as a pen or pencil and a computer.
- Moves, lifts, carries, and places merchandise and supplies weighing up to 25 pounds without assistance
- Grasps, turns, and manipulates objects of varying size and weight, requiring fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
- Visually verifies information, often in small print
- Visually locates merchandise and other objects
- Visually inspects equipment
- Reaches overhead and below the knees, including bending, twisting, pulling and stooping
Work Environment
- Working in the following environment is necessary to perform one or more of the essential job functions of this position
- Moves through narrow, confined spaces such as stacks of merchandise or supplies, storage areas, and closets
- May work with substances requiring special handling
- Works varying shifts as required
Entry Requirements
- At a minimum, a pharmacy technician must:
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Have a high school diploma or GED
- Must be of good moral character
- Must be certified by the PTCB or other certifying entity approved by the Montana Board of Pharmacy (if you are not certified you must obtain certification within 18 months from the time of registration).
The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria considered necessary to perform the job successfully.