Pharmacy Technician Specialist - Diversion, Galveston

University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB)•Galveston, TX

12h

About The Position

The Pharmacy Technician Specialist assists pharmacists with drug distribution, technical services, and clinical services related to the preparation, storage, and dispensing of pharmaceuticals. The role requires advanced skills in a specialty area and operates at a campus or system level. The Diversion specialty focuses on controlled-substance compliance, surveillance, discrepancy review, accountability, diversion prevention, education, and related process improvement. The specialist may also perform Senior Pharmacy Technologist job functions when needed and completes other related duties as required.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Registration as a Pharmacy Technician with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP).
Either three years of technician experience, including one year of professional work experience in a related specialty field, or one year of pharmacy technician experience and an associate or bachelor's degree in a directly related specialty field.

Nice To Haves

Associate or bachelor's degree in a directly related field of specialty.
ACPE-approved IV (sterile products) certification.

Responsibilities

Performs the job functions and duties of a Senior Pharmacy Technologist when needed.
Collects data, analyzes complex information, and prepares written summaries, reports, and recommendations for pharmacy leadership.
Assists with maintaining specialty-area policies and standard operating procedures to support legal, accreditation, and certification requirements.
Completes documentation and maintains records according to established policies and procedures.
Ensures compliance with DEA regulations, state requirements, and institutional policies governing controlled substances and diversion prevention within assigned responsibilities.
Conducts ongoing controlled-substance surveillance and audits using diversion-monitoring software, Omnicell/ADC reports, EHR/MAR data, and other medication-use records to identify discrepancies, unusual activity, and potential diversion risk.
Reviews and follows up on controlled-substance discrepancies involving removal, administration, waste, return, documentation, and reconciliation, and escalates findings as appropriate.
Analyzes controlled-substance utilization and transaction data to identify trends, recurring patterns, outliers, and workflow vulnerabilities requiring further review.
Develops, runs, and evaluates Omnicell/ADC reports and diversion-monitoring analytics for proactive surveillance and targeted review.
Performs OR controlled-substance reconciliation, CII safe/CSM reconciliation, and other controlled-substance accountability reviews.
Collaborates with Pharmacy, Nursing, Anesthesia, medical staff, and other departments to obtain information and assist with resolving controlled-substance discrepancies and medication-accountability concerns.
Assists in preparing, communicating, and presenting surveillance findings, trends, investigation results, and identified risks to departmental and institutional leadership.
Provides controlled-substance and diversion-prevention education to residents, nurses, pharmacy personnel, and other healthcare staff based on identified needs and program requirements.
Assists with implementing, validating, optimizing, and supporting ongoing use of diversion-monitoring technology and automated dispensing systems.
Assists with developing and monitoring metrics and identifying workflow, education, and process-improvement opportunities based on surveillance and review findings.
Maintains documentation of discrepancy reviews, findings, trends, and follow-up activities in accordance with established procedures and reporting structures.
Participates in institutional committees and workgroups, as appropriate, to support regulatory compliance, policy requirements, and best practices in controlled-substance management and diversion prevention.
Adheres to internal controls, confidentiality requirements, escalation pathways, and reporting structures.
Performs related duties as required.