Job Summary
The pharmacy technician is responsible for the accurate and timely completion of many day to day tasks which enables the Pharmacy to run smoothly and efficiently. These tasks include accurately filling physician's orders and restocking automated dispensing machines under the supervision of a pharmacist, processing charges for medications and IV fluids used from floor stock, transporting medication and IV fluids to the dumbwaiters, unit-dosing medications, answering the phone, and crediting patient profiles for returned medication and IV fluids. Duties might also include activities related to quality assurance such as monthly unit inspections, checking for outdated medications, helping to assure that adequate stock is on hand, and other duties which may be assigned. Must be willing to work a flexible schedule that includes evenings and weekends as determined by departmental need so as to provide adequate coverage and appropriate pharmaceutical care to our customers. Must reflect the mission statement and philosophy of Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center in daily work habits and contacts. Assists in the provision of pharmaceutical care for all patient populations including infants, pediatrics, adolescents, adults, and geriatrics.
Qualifications
Education:
High School graduate required.

Training:
3-6 months on the job training required.

Experience:
Must hold Indiana Pharmacy Apprentice License.

Job Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Must have good working knowledge of specific activities required in the overall day to day functions of the Pharmacy. Works under the direction of a pharmacist for filling of physicians orders and restocking automated dispensing machines. Must show initiative to get tasks completed in a timely manner so as to enable a smooth and efficient work flow within the Pharmacy Department. This may include processing and filling requisitions for other departments of the hospital, unit dosing of medication as needed, charging and replacing of medication and IVS for floor stock, and effectively utilizing the computer for crediting and data management functions. Duties might also include some IV admixture. Must be able to handle phone calls efficiently and effectively communicate with both pharmacy and other hospital personnel.
Performance Requirements
Responsibility For:
Accurate filling of physician's orders under the supervision of a Pharmacist. Must be able to work with minimal supervision in the charging and replacing of floor stock medication and IV fluids. Takes initiative in completing daily tasks such as restocking medication and IV supplies, returning discontinued medication and IV's to Pharmacy inventory, and processing credits on patient profiles. Must work efficiently and accurately so as to help maintain a smooth work flow and assist in providing quality pharmaceutical services to our customers.

Physical Demands:
Walks, sits and stands intermittently. Minimal physical effort required. May occasionally include lifting items weighing 10-20 pounds and the use of a cart to transport loads which might weigh up to 50 pounds. Manual dexterity for handling various office equipment and computer data entry.

Special Demands:
Willingness to work with the realization that errors may have serious effects for patients. Ability to remain alert and concentrate on tasks for extended periods of time. Must be courteous and show patience and cooperation with others in the pharmacy as well as our customers which may include patients, physicians, and other health care personnel. Reflects the mission, philosophy, core values, and customer service plan of Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center in action and attitude.

Representative Functions
Practices the core values of Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center. (Ongoing)

Complies with the 5-Step Customer Service Plan as outlined in the Organizational Manual. (Ongoing)

1. Assist filling of physician orders. Also includes processing medication and IV Fluid credits. (15%)

• Works with proper speed and accuracy to correctly fill medication orders as evidenced by documentation as well as the observation and satisfaction of others.
• Correctly, and in a timely fashion, enters credits for returned medication, IVPBs, and IVs into the computer, taking care to credit the correct patient, as is evidenced by the observation and satisfaction of others.

2. Enters charges for, and replaces medications to floor stock. (35%)

• Accurately and in a timely fashion enters charges for all patient medications taken from floor stock into the Pharmacy computer as evidenced the observation and satisfaction of others.
• Accurately prepares specific replacement medications for floor stock based on daily Pyxis refill/pick reports, patient charge cards, and/or requisitions sent to Pharmacy from various units as evidenced by documentation as well as observation and satisfaction of others.

3. Fills individual patient medications from printed cart fill listing. (15%)

• Accurately generates labels on an as needed basis for medications that have specific labeling needs in order to clarify dose, administration instructions, or therapeutic Interchange information as evidenced by the observation and satisfaction of others.

4. Answers the phone and effectively communicates with pharmacy staff, other employees, and the general public. (10%)

• Demonstrates proper etiquette when answering or using the phone, carrying out communications in a friendly and courteous manner in order to promote good interdepartmental relations, as is evidenced by the observation and satisfaction of others.
• Displays effective communication skills in the accurate and timely delivery of pertinent information to the staff in Pharmacy as is evidenced by the observation and satisfaction of others.

5. Fills IVPBs and IV large volumes for individual patient needs based on generated IV fill listing. (10%)

• Displays adequate knowledge and skills to appropriately assemble IVPBs by attaching medication vials to Mini-bag Plus small volume IV bags and/or assembling Add-Vantage IVPB's, taking care to ensure that the medication vials are properly secured in the finished IVPB, as evidenced by the observation and satisfaction of others.
• Takes responsibility to accurately fill IVPBs and large volume IV's for individual patient needs, taking care to attach computer-generated labels to the appropriate bags, making sure that the medication name on the label matches up with that on the bag, as evidenced by the observation and satisfaction of others.

6. Unit dosing and properly labeling medication for Pharmacy stock. (5%)

• Identifies medications that need to be unit-dosed and is able to properly package bulk medication in unit-dose containers so that such medication is properly labeled with the name of the medication, lot number, and expiration date, and records such information in the unit-dose log as evidenced by the observation and satisfaction of others.

7. Assists in quality assurance functions such as unit inspections, checking for outdated medications and assuring specific items are in stock. (1%)

• Takes initiative to complete, in a timely manner, assigned tasks as related to quality assurance functions within the Pharmacy as evidenced by the observation and satisfaction of others.

8. Restocking IV racks and all other pharmacy supply items as needed to assure a smooth work flow. (2%)

• Works independently to restock IV rack in main work area and IV preparation room, taking responsibility to make sure there is adequate quantities of necessary forms on hand so that the normal flow of work is not interrupted as is evidenced by the observation And satisfaction of others.

9. Transport medications and IVS to dumbwaiters and other areas of the hospital. (2%)

• Takes responsibility to routinely transport medications to dumbwaiters in a timely fashion or send them via the pneumatic tube system as soon as they are prepared so as to avoid unnecessary delays as is evidenced by the observation and satisfaction of others.
• Takes initiative to personally delivery, to the proper unit, those items urgently needed and/or those which cannot be transported via the dumbwaiter or pneumatic tube system as evidenced by the observation and satisfaction of others.