Pharmacy Technician I

Bassett Healthcare Network•Village of Cooperstown, NY

About The Position

The Pharmacy Technician I performs pharmacy technician duties in inpatient hospital and/or outpatient community pharmacy settings under direct pharmacist supervision. The role supports medication preparation, prescription processing and distribution, inventory management, purchasing and receiving, customer service, cash management, and quality assurance. Technicians work with pharmacists and other departments to keep pharmacy operations accurate and efficient and to support patient care in accordance with hospital standards and New York State law. In inpatient settings, the technician supports medication distribution to patients, stock areas, and clinics; assists with unit-dose distribution; packages medications and prepares labels; maintains automated dispensing systems; and monitors patients’ own medications. Depending on location, duties may also include sterile compounding, USP 797/800 compliance, cleaning and disinfecting compounding areas, and use of personal protective equipment. The technician monitors medication and supply inventory, handles hazardous medications according to policy, removes unusable or expired medications, documents quality assurance work, and escalates non-conformities and occurrences. In outpatient settings, the technician assists patients in person and by phone, receives and processes prescriptions, profiles and processes claims, retrieves and counts medications, labels prescriptions for pharmacist review, and supports prescription packaging, mailing, counseling-log documentation, and cashiering. The role includes ordering and receiving medications, managing inventory and vendor shortages, responding to recalls, maintaining accurate drug files, and following up on backorders, damaged or missing products, substitutions, and credits. The technician maintains an organized work area and performs similar or related duties as requested or directed.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED is preferred.
Minimum of 1 year of pharmacy technician experience is preferred.
Successfully master required tasks and operations, as taught and mentored by pharmacy staff, by the end of six months of employment.
Progression to Technician II is required within six months if required by the primary location.
Computer skills.
Interpersonal skills and ability to interact with people.
Attention to detail.
Accountability.
Ability to perform heavy work: exert up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, up to 50 pounds frequently, and/or up to 20 pounds constantly to move objects.
Frequent balancing, climbing, crouching, typing or clerical work, dexterity, grasping, hearing, kneeling, lifting, pulling, pushing, reaching, repetitive motion, computer or monitor use, standing, stooping, talking, visual tasks, and walking.
Fit testing is required.
Occasional exposure to bodily fluids or bloodborne hazards.
Occasional exposure to extreme temperatures and noise.
Travel may be required from time to time, but not regularly.

Nice To Haves

High school diploma or GED.
At least 1 year of pharmacy technician experience.

Responsibilities

Support inpatient medication preparation, distribution, and unit-dose distribution under pharmacist supervision.
Participate in medication distribution to patients, stock areas, and clinics.
Refill and maintain automated dispensing systems, monitor medication expiration dates, rotate stock, and perform routine device maintenance.
Prepare clinic and health-center stock orders using the electronic clinic inventory system.
Package unit-dose medications and prepare complete, accurate medication labels.
Monitor and ensure proper handling of patients’ own medications.
Assist pharmacists and work cooperatively with the pharmacy department and other departments.
Answer and direct telephone calls according to departmental policy; provide courteous customer service to patients, caregivers, coworkers, and staff.
Assist with training new pharmacy technicians.
Monitor pharmacy, storeroom, and IV-room inventory; communicate inventory needs and order supplies to maintain availability.
Participate in quality assurance and quality improvement activities and accurately document quality assurance tasks.
Perform required cleaning and disinfecting in sterile and non-sterile compounding areas; use personal protective equipment and handle hazardous medications according to departmental policies.
Monitor for expired or unusable medications and follow procedures for their removal, waste, segregation, and disposal.
Identify and escalate pharmacy or hospital non-conformities and occurrences.
Assist with or perform purchasing, receiving, and inventory-control functions; place orders, ensure correct storage, and maintain adequate inventory.
In outpatient settings, place wholesaler orders electronically or manually, evaluate shortages, select alternatives when appropriate, and follow up on backorders, missing or damaged products, and credits or replacements.
Review wholesaler catalogs and contractual availability; consult with managers and pharmacists about 340B ordering, and order over-the-counter medications as needed.
Receive and account for wholesaler orders, enter products into inventory, store products correctly, and designate hazardous medications according to USP 800 standards and departmental guidelines.
Respond to safety alerts and recalls by notifying the pharmacy team, removing recalled medications, processing paperwork, and arranging returns.
Check inventory levels against QS1, correct non-controlled medication discrepancies, and alert pharmacists to controlled-substance inventory discrepancies.
Assist with setting medication par levels, reviewing outdated or overstocked items, returning eligible products for credit, and maintaining accurate QS1 drug-file information.
Receive prescriptions, verify receipt of electronic prescriptions at a patient’s request, obtain demographics, allergies, and insurance information, and notify pharmacy staff when a patient is waiting.
Profile and process prescriptions and insurance adjudication accurately and promptly; process electronic prescriptions, refill requests, and prescriber refill responses.
Alert pharmacists to drug utilization review, allergy, or interaction warnings shown by pharmacy software.
Retrieve, count, and label medications for pharmacist checking; handle hazardous medications according to policy.
Answer phones and respond to faxes and voicemails, assist patients, and refer questions to a pharmacist or appropriate department when needed.
Contact insurance companies and payers for claim-processing assistance as needed.
Receive and reconcile cash, checks, and credit-card payments; process third-party checks and identify and review cash-drawer or petty-cash variances.
Package and retrieve completed prescriptions, mail designated prescriptions, and maintain required documentation and counseling logs.
Offer pharmacist counseling with each customer transaction as required by state regulations and verify patient identity using date of birth or another acceptable identifier.
Follow up on unclaimed prescriptions and return them to stock after 14 days.
Maintain a clean and organized pharmacy work area.
Perform similar or related duties as requested or directed.