Certified Pharmacy Tech II, UofL Hospital, Inpatient Pharmacy

UofL Health•Louisville, KY

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Certified Pharmacy Technician II provides daily supportive services for the Department of Pharmacy at UofL Hospital, following hospital policies and procedures and complying with Kentucky pharmacy laws and other regulatory requirements. The technician supports continuous quality improvement initiatives and competency assessments, demonstrates commitment to customer service and patient safety, and responds to requests promptly and efficiently. The role includes medication distribution, including controlled substances; automated dispensing cabinet restocking; sterile and non-sterile compounding; communication with hospital staff; inspections; and reporting unsafe practices to leadership. The position supports inpatient pharmacy operations through medication preparation, labeling, dispensing support, inventory management, deliveries, controlled-substance reconciliation, and automated dispensing cabinet maintenance. It also includes sterile and hazardous medication handling, student and new-staff mentoring, participation in investigational drug studies and staff orientation, and adherence to pharmacy, hospital, and confidentiality policies. Work is performed under the supervision of pharmacists and pharmacy leadership. The position reports to the Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor or Sterile Compounding Supervisor.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED/equivalent.
Registered as a pharmacy technician with the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Current certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board or National Healthcare Association; certification is not required for second-year students and/or licensed pharmacy interns.
Eligibility for Pharmacy Technician II designation requires advancement within hospital pharmacy practice through the UofL Pharmacy Technician Career Ladder.

Nice To Haves

Completion of a formal Pharmacy Technician educational program and/or an associate’s degree.

Responsibilities

Provide supportive services to the inpatient pharmacy.
Assist with filling, processing, and dispensing medications by labeling medication and bulk supplies with appropriate ancillary labels and bagging procedures; a pharmacist performs the final check.
Answer phones using established etiquette and direct calls to appropriate personnel.
Charge or credit patients for medications through the computer system.
Unit-dose medications accurately and efficiently, including cleaning and restocking the compounding area, documenting in compounding records, and preparing correctly labeled doses for pharmacist verification.
Prepare medications for loading into automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) and unload medications using barcode scanning.
Fill inventory requests for nursing-unit ADCs and floor stock, and fill patient-specific drawers using the appropriate bins according to census profile.
Support drug inventory processes, including ordering, rotation, and restocking drug-dispensing areas with needed drugs and supplies.
Maintain a clean and orderly work area, including a sterile environment.
Complete assigned nursing-unit and inventory inspections; restock kits and crash-cart trays as required.
Fill controlled-substance orders, reconcile discrepancies, and close all loops daily.
Monitor medication activity for potential drug diversion and report discrepancies to a pharmacist or pharmacy leadership.
Deliver medications, including controlled substances, to nursing-unit ADCs on schedule and make emergent deliveries as needed.
Help ensure accurate and efficient medication delivery to patient-care areas, including checking the tube system with each delivery and transporting medications to the appropriate location.
Prepare and package hazardous medications and follow the safety measures for handling them described in USP 795/797/800.
Use aseptic technique and follow department policies and procedures when compounding sterile products.
Mentor new pharmacy technicians, pharmacy technician students, and pharmacy students; provide guidance to certified pharmacy technicians and IPPE pharmacy student rotations as needed.
Execute hospital and pharmacy policies and procedures.
Investigate and resolve ADC-related issues.
Use inventory management systems and carousels to resolve drug-distribution issues.
Cover assigned shifts according to departmental need.
Facilitate investigational drug studies with assistance from the pharmacist and/or other personnel involved in the study.
Complete sterile-compounding training, including hazardous medications, and demonstrate competency at the frequency defined by the Sterile Compounding Supervisor.
Complete extemporaneous-compounding training, including hazardous medications, and demonstrate competency at the frequency defined by pharmacy leadership.
Participate in orientation of new staff members.
Contribute to policy and procedure development as requested by pharmacy leadership.
Maintain satisfactory working relationships with pharmacy leadership, pharmacy staff, and other departments throughout the system.
Attend departmental staff meetings.
Perform tasks under the supervision of pharmacists and pharmacy leadership and report to the Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor or Sterile Compounding Supervisor.
Adhere to the Pharmacy Services Agreement and company policies, procedures, and standards of conduct.
Comply with HIPAA privacy and security requirements and maintain confidentiality.
Perform other duties as assigned.