Pharmacy Tech-Inpatient

Trinity Health•Chelsea, MI

13h•Onsite

About The Position

Under the immediate supervision of a pharmacist and Pharmacy Department leadership, the Pharmacy Tech-Inpatient provides daily pharmaceutical support services according to established procedures and applicable pharmacy laws and regulations. The role responds promptly to routine and emergency requests, exercises independent judgment within the role, participates in education and competency assessments, supports continuous quality improvement, and promotes customer service. The inpatient pharmacy at Chelsea Hospital serves inpatients, rehabilitation, the emergency department, and operating rooms. Clean-room operations follow Joint Commission-accredited standards for USP 797 and USP 800. The position is full-time nights on a rotating schedule of seven days on and seven days off, with weekend and holiday responsibilities and availability for coverage as needed. The technician supports medication preparation, dispensing, delivery, inventory, automated dispensing systems, controlled-substance reconciliation, unit inspections, and records. When trained in oncology, the technician may also prepare and package chemotherapy and other specially handled medications under pharmacist supervision.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Michigan State Pharmacy Technician licensure is required.
Demonstrated competency working aseptically in a horizontal or vertical laminar-flow hood or biological safety cabinet is required before performing drug preparation.
Ability to follow established pharmacy procedures, applicable laws and regulations, USP 797/USP 800 guidelines, and safety measures for medication handling.

Nice To Haves

Completion of a formal Pharmacy Technician educational program and/or an Associate's degree.
Previous pharmacy experience, preferably in a hospital-based pharmacy; formal Pharmacy Technician program experiential education may be considered in lieu of work experience.
Pharmacy Technician certification.
Oncology training for chemotherapy preparation duties.

Responsibilities

Read and interpret physician medication orders and assist with filling, processing, dispensing, repackaging, and labeling medications, with final checks performed by a pharmacist.
Maintain cleanliness and aseptic technique while preparing intravenous admixtures, including IVPBs, large-volume parenterals, and total parenteral nutrition when necessary; follow departmental procedures and USP 797/USP 800 guidelines.
Deliver controlled substances, medications, IV solutions, and forms to nursing units and patient-care areas; load and unload automated dispensing cabinets using barcode scanning.
Fill inventory needs for automated dispensing cabinets, non-cabinet stock, and unit-dose drawers according to computerized patient profiles.
Support drug inventory processes, including rotating and restocking medications and supplies, and maintain a clean, orderly work area.
Answer and direct phone calls using established etiquette and refer calls or emergency situations to a pharmacist when appropriate.
Complete assigned nursing-unit inspections and restock crash-cart trays and OCMCA boxes as required; report discrepancies to pharmacists or pharmacy management.
Fill controlled-substance orders, reconcile discrepancies daily, and monitor for unusual activity that may indicate drug diversion.
When trained in oncology, prepare and package chemotherapy and other specially handled medications under pharmacist supervision; verify doses and prepare preliminary drug profiles for patients following established chemotherapy protocols.
Safely handle cytotoxic and other special drugs and associated equipment, follow hazardous-material safety measures, and maintain required paperwork, legal documents, and medication records.
Use the pharmacy computer system to bill or credit patients for medications used; maintain investigational-drug research records and validate ordered doses against investigational protocols.
Accurately obtain medications from the automated medication supplier, such as BoxPicker, scan medication and patient labels, and prepare and label doses for pharmacist final check.
Operate the unit-dose packaging machine, including restocking medications and supplies, monitoring alarms, and ensuring doses are properly labeled and prepared for pharmacist review.
Use MedBoard software and barcode scanning to track medication deliveries to nursing units.
Train new pharmacy technicians, document their progress, and report results to pharmacy leadership; mentor Pharmacy Technician students and provide input on their progress.
Perform quality-improvement audits and other tasks assigned by a pharmacist or pharmacy manager.
Participate in the rotational schedule, including required weekend and holiday work, and provide coverage as needed.