Certified Pharmacy Technician - Casual

Nebraska Methodist Hospital•Council Bluffs, IA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

Nebraska Methodist Health System is hiring a Certified Pharmacy Technician for a casual/PRN role at Methodist Jennie Edmundson in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, the technician assists with pharmacy department activities that do not require the pharmacist’s professional judgment, following written procedures and guidelines. The role supports medication order triage and processing, sterile compounding, drug distribution, inventory, and patient care units while maintaining patient confidentiality and working effectively with the health care team. This is an as-needed position, and workdays and hours may vary from week to week. The schedule includes one weeknight shift from 4:30–9 p.m. and one weekend shift, either 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. or 12:30–9 p.m. The position requires registration as a pharmacy technician in the applicable state or Iowa certification, with specified certification deadlines for trainees. Some hospital pharmacy experience is preferred. The role involves operating pharmacy equipment and automation, managing unit-dose and automated dispensing areas, handling controlled substances and hazardous drugs, and preparing and inspecting sterile admixtures. The technician is also responsible for communicating issues and pending transactions, completing medication credits and deliveries, supporting crash carts and other kits, and helping maintain medication and supply inventory. Physical requirements include medium work, with exertion of up to 50 pounds of force, and frequent or constant standing, walking, carrying, reaching, keyboarding, hearing, and seeing.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Must be at least 18 years old and have no current drug or alcohol addiction or convictions for a drug-related misdemeanor or felony.
Registration as a pharmacy technician in the work state or certification as a pharmacy technician is required at the start of employment. For Iowa trainees, a CPHT.IA must be obtained within one year of trainee registration.
Certification through a board-approved state or national pharmacy technician certification program is required within 12 months of state registration.
Must demonstrate knowledge and proficiency sufficient to follow pharmacy procedures and objectives, including general basic chemistry, arithmetic, basic algebra, reading, and writing.
Must communicate effectively with hospital personnel, patients, and the public.
Basic Microsoft Outlook and Word skills required.
Must be able to interpret and evaluate medication requests for triage to a pharmacist.
Must be able to prioritize time and tasks according to patient needs without prompting.
Must meet medium-work physical demands, including exerting up to 50 pounds of force; a cabinet taller than 60 inches requires two people to move.
Must be able to perform frequent carrying, color distinction, grasping, keyboarding, reaching, repetitive motions, speaking, standing, and walking, and constant hearing and seeing.

Nice To Haves

Some hospital pharmacy experience preferred.
American Heart Association or American Red Cross Basic Life Support (BLS) preferred.

Responsibilities

Triage medication requests, prioritize them, process orders, and notify the pharmacist as appropriate.
Communicate medication issues and pending transactions to pharmacy staff for completion.
Manufacture, package, and label drug products as needed.
Perform aseptic compounding of parenteral admixtures and other sterile dosage forms, excluding chemotherapy and other specialty solutions unless appropriately trained and instructed.
Prepare labels and control records, visually inspect parenteral solutions, and document quality control.
Perform institutional drug distribution functions, including using dispensing and compounding automation, reviewing medication orders in the pharmacy computer system, preparing patient medications, and delivering and exchanging medications.
Manage sterile compounding product flow and meet low- and medium-risk competency requirements.
Manage the unit-dose area, including Omnicell, and complete Omnicell pending transactions and loads before the end of the shift.
Operate and manage pharmacy equipment, including the carousel and unit-dose packager.
Operate the controlled substance system, complete related paperwork, and follow controlled substance policies.
Address and fill crash carts and other kits or trays before the end of the shift.
Check credits each shift, return them to the pharmacy, and place them in the proper location.
Complete orders through delivery, including visual inspections while staffing.
Safely handle and deliver hazardous drugs.
Follow established pharmacy policies and procedures and comply with safety alerts and employee standards of behavior.
Participate in training and orientation of new pharmacy employees and supportive personnel.
Interact effectively with health care team members while respecting patient rights and maintaining patient confidentiality.
Help maintain sufficient inventory of medications and supplies throughout pharmacy areas.
Perform other tasks as assigned.