Pharmacy Technician Specialist - Inpatient

Brown Medicine•Providence, RI

16h•Onsite

About The Position

The Pharmacy Technician Specialist, Inpatient reports to the Pharmacy Manager, Director, or their designee. Under the supervision of a pharmacist and direction of a Pharmacy Technician Supervisor, this role utilizes experience-based knowledge to perform advanced technical functions in preparing, formulating, and packaging medication and pharmaceutical supplies. The specialist assists with coordinating technician activities in assigned areas, helps with workload when necessary, and interacts professionally with providers, pharmacists, nurses, peers, and support personnel. Brown University Health employees are expected to embody the organization's values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence, as well as core Success Factors including Instill Trust and Value Differences, Patient and Community Focus, and Collaborate. The position involves reviewing and analyzing operations, recommending and implementing approved operational changes, establishing effective communication, participating in staff recruitment and training, coordinating technician workflow, ensuring quality assurance, maintaining medication supply areas, participating in quality assessment and improvement activities, reporting medication errors, and keeping leadership informed of significant issues. Specific responsibilities are detailed for Central Operations, Central Sterile Compounding, and Operating Rooms.

Requirements

High school graduate or equivalent degree.
Holds and maintains current unrestricted Rhode Island Pharmacy Technician licensure.
National Pharmacy Technician Certification (CPhT).
Minimum 2 years of experience as a pharmacy technician, including 1 year in a similarly diverse and operationally complex healthcare environment.
Must possess solid computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite, as well as email, Teams, and calendar applications.
Must be comfortable using internet web applications and multiple pharmacy system applications.
Strong customer service presence and verbal and written communication skills are necessary.
Ability to maintain attention to detail in a high paced environment to avoid errors in medication dispensing.
Ability to multi-task and reprioritize as needed while maintaining accuracy and service standards.
For Central Sterile Compounding: Must obtain, within 2 months of hire, and maintain no less than semi-annually thereafter, internal IV and oncology credentialing as demonstrated by successful completion of current competency assessments.
New hires into this position must successfully pass a drug screen in conformance with Rhode Island State Law.

Nice To Haves

Completion of one to two years of college preferred.

Responsibilities

Reviews and analyzes operations on an on-going basis.
Recommends and implements approved operational changes and new technology, designed to increase efficiency and level of pharmacy services in collaboration with Pharmacy leadership.
Establishes effective and timely communication with staff to facilitate the flow of operations.
Participates in the recruitment, orientation, in-service training, performance enhancement, competency assessment, and retention of staff in collaboration with Pharmacy leadership.
Assists with the coordination of technician activities and workflow in the performance of their normal job duties.
Provides resource assistance and guidance.
Assists with workload, as needed.
Coordinates quality assurance activities.
Ensures medication supply areas are neat and orderly, hazardous medications are segregated appropriately, and medications are stored under proper conditions for light, temperature, and sanitation.
Participates in quality assessment and improvement activities and medication safety initiatives of the pharmacy and the hospital.
Utilizes approved process for reporting actual, prevented and near miss medication errors.
Keeps pharmacy leadership apprised of significant personnel or operational issues should any arise.
Interacts professionally with providers, pharmacists, nurses, peers, and support personnel.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Assumes responsibility for central pharmacy operations including controlled substance inventory management, operating room medication inventory management, pharmacy, and hospital-wide medication related quality assurance auditing (Central Operations).
Assesses and recommends operational workflow enhancements for central operations (Central Operations).
Prepares, formulates, and packages medications, including controlled substances, and pharmaceutical supplies under the supervision of a pharmacist and with consideration to the age of the patient populations being served (Central Operations).
Assists pharmacy technicians as workload or need arises including, but not limited to, automated dispensing cabinet medication refill or maintenance, pharmacy non-sterile compounding, medication inventory management and delivery (Central Operations).
Participates in continuous quality improvement activities related to central operations (Central Operations).
Assumes responsibility for central pharmacy sterile compounding of parenteral (including hazardous) medications and other IV solutions under the supervision of a pharmacist (Central Sterile Compounding).
Assumes responsibility for quality assurance audits for sterile compounded medications within the pharmacy and hospital wide (Central Sterile Compounding).
Assumes responsibility for inventory management of sterile compounding related supplies (Central Sterile Compounding).
Ensures the sterile compounding environment and all equipment are cleaned and maintained under aseptic conditions and in accordance with departmental standard operating procedures (Central Sterile Compounding).
Performs hand hygiene and garbing practices in accordance with department standard operating procedures (Central Sterile Compounding).
Performs sterile compounding of parenteral (including hazardous) medications and other IV solutions under the supervision of a pharmacist (Central Sterile Compounding).
Performs sterile compounding of medications in compliance with United States Pharmacopeia (USP) 797, USP 800, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommendations and Brown University Health policies and standard operating procedures (Central Sterile Compounding).
Demonstrates aseptic technique and compounding workflow to new personnel (Central Sterile Compounding).
Coordinates and maintains documentation required for sterile formulations competencies as required (Central Sterile Compounding).
Coordinates and ensures completion and documentation of required daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning of the sterile compounding area (Central Sterile Compounding).
Coordinates and ensures completion and documentation of required environmental testing (Central Sterile Compounding).
Ensures documentation is complete, related compounding supplies are restocked, and the IV Services Form binder is replenished with appropriate sheets, weekly (Central Sterile Compounding).
Assists pharmacy technicians as workload or need arises including, but not limited to, pharmacy sterile compounding, chemotherapy, and IV solution inventory management and delivery (Central Sterile Compounding).
Assesses and recommends operational workflow enhancements for operating rooms and peri-operative patient care areas (Operating Rooms).
Participates in continuous quality improvement activities related to operating rooms and peri-operative patient care areas (Operating Rooms).
Assists with optimization of medication inventory in automated dispensing cabinets (i.e., Omnicell, A-Station) located in the operating rooms and peri-operative patient care areas (Operating Rooms).