PHARMACY TECHNICIAN - SUPPLY

Fort Defiance Indian Hospital Board, Inc.•Fort Defiance Agency, AZ

5d•$32 - $40•Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for pharmaceutical and supply order initiations, receiving shipments, ensuring compliance with storage requirements, inventory control through perpetual analysis, fund control, and serving as a liaison with company representatives and managerial staff. The role involves operational responsibility for all ongoing inventories, including annual inventory of drug products and pharmaceutical supplies, and their procurement, with a focus on cost-effective turnover. The technician must possess a thorough knowledge of procurement sources, IHS manual and associated circular procedures, and hospital procurement policies. They will utilize basic accounting and budgetary skills to maintain pharmaceuticals and supplies cost-effectively. The role also includes maintaining accountability of daily purchases, coordinating receipt, ensuring consistent delivery schedules, and appropriately dispersing stock. Familiarity with catalog utilizations, updated bulletin applicability, and prime vendor systems is essential. The technician must also be familiar with US Pharmacopoeia, CMS, accreditation bodies, and IHS manual storage requirements, ensuring storage conforms to IHS and OSHA standards. A system of retrieval must be maintained, with files routinely purged. The technician acts as the first line between company representatives and pharmacy managers, interpreting and transmitting accounting and availability data. They will utilize the prime vendor to order FSS items, involving direct contact via computer modem, assessing contracts, and selecting cost-effective items. This includes reviewing drug orders, verifying quantities, and transmitting orders. If an item is unavailable, the technician must decide on ordering generic substitutes, different strengths, or waiting. They will determine cost differentials and expected due-in dates using the prime vendor database. If the prime vendor is not available or an alternative method is selected, that system will be used to order and track items. The technician will establish and modify ordering intervals, inventory levels, ordering quantities, and sources of supply based on financial conditions, seasonal variations, medical practice changes, delivery times, urgency, and alternative sources. They will review drug inventory levels and usage rates to recommend periodic automatic replenishment (PAR) items and establish stock levels based on past usage, medical considerations, and inventory management knowledge. Processing outdated, unusable, and excess inventory for return or credit, assisting with drug recalls, and serving as the subject matter expert for the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) are also key responsibilities. The technician will review P&T Committee minutes to determine stock requirements, assist the Supervisory Pharmacist in drug cost analysis, and cost usage analysis of high-cost medications. They will coordinate stock requirements analysis, recommend PAR levels and order quantities based on drug use trends and DUE reports, and advise the Supervisory Pharmacist on budget projections and usage trends. The technician will manage prime vendor orders daily and share responsibility for managing a pharmaceutical budget exceeding $16 million annually. They will also function as a resource person for inventory status and control, providing orientation and training to staff. Assisting pharmacists with emergency requirements and initiating procurement for controlled substances, including DEA forms, are also part of the role. The technician may perform other duties and special projects as assigned, as well as a variety of pharmacy technician activities such as Unit Dose Medication Management, Sterile Manufacturing, Bulk Compounding, and Outpatient Dispensing. They will review, interpret, and accurately fill individual prescriptions, demonstrating knowledge of the RPMS Pharmacy Package and hospital computer system. Customer service skills are essential when communicating with medical professionals, staff, and patients. For medication refills, the technician provides independent patient medication counseling, including verification of patient identification and medication use, answering questions, and identifying potential problems for pharmacist consultation. Participation in staff meetings and continuing education programs is expected. The technician will assist with maintaining the pharmacy drug file, updating NDC and pricing information, and returning medication to stock with proper documentation. Preparing sterile solutions using aseptic technique, reviewing physician orders for intravenous solutions, calculating drug amounts, and setting up necessary drugs and solutions are also required. The technician will answer questions from medical staff regarding drug availability and refer judgmental or unfamiliar questions to the pharmacist. They will perform inventory, place orders based on PAR levels, prepare and submit orders, receive and stock orders with documentation and rotation, and ensure medications are stored appropriately. Ordering supplies and IV solutions and observing policies for controlled substance inventory are also duties. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Two (2) years of direct work experience in pharmaceutical supply ordering and inventory management.
High School Diploma or Equivalency (HSE).
Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Certificate.
Must obtain state licensure (AZ or NM) within a month of date of hire.
Valid, unrestricted insurable driver’s license.
Resumes and references are required.
Email current certificate of Indian blood (CIB), valid insurable driver’s license, high school diploma and college degree or transcripts to [email protected]

Nice To Haves

Demonstrates working knowledge of RPMS Pharmacy Package and hospital computer system.

Responsibilities

Initiate pharmaceutical and supply orders.
Receive shipments of goods and assure compliance with storage requirements.
Maintain inventory control through perpetual analysis.
Manage fund control.
Liaise with company representatives and managerial staff.
Have operational responsibility for all ongoing inventories, including annual inventory of drug products and pharmaceutical supplies and their procurement.
Identify and maintain cost-effective turnover.
Possess a thorough knowledge and understanding of procurement sources (i.e., prime vendor, government excess, posted stock, and local), IHS manual and associated circular procedures, and hospital procurement policies.
Display a thorough understanding of policies and procedures.
Utilize basic accounting and budgetary skills to assure pharmaceuticals and supplies are maintained in the most cost-effective manner.
Maintain accountability of daily purchases and coordinate receipt.
Assure consistent delivery schedules are employed and handled in a manner mutually beneficial to the Pharmacy Department.
Appropriately disperse stock into designated storage areas.
Be familiar with catalog utilizations, updated bulletin applicability, and prime vendor.
Utilize an excellent working knowledge of all US Pharmacopoeia, CMS, accreditation bodies and HIS manual storage requirements.
Determine well-defined storage locations and ensure storage conforms to the IHS and OSHA standards.
Maintain an elaborate system of retrieval.
Routinely purge files to avoid accumulation of obsolete material.
Serve as the first line between company representatives and pharmacy managers.
Effectively interpret screen and transmit accounting and availability data.
Utilize the prime vendor to order FSS items.
Determine the cost differential to purchase from a different manufacturer, as well as the expected due-in date of the unavailable product at the prime vendor.
If prime vendor is not available or alternative method of pharmaceutical procurement is determined and selected, use that system to order and track items needed utilizing appropriate substitutions.
Determine, establish, and modify, as necessary, appropriate ordering intervals, inventory levels, most efficient/effective ordering quantities, sources of supply, etc., based on current financial conditions in pharmacy, seasonal variations in drug usage, changing patterns of medical practice, delivery time requirements, urgency of medical need, alternative sources of availability, etc.
Review drug inventory levels and usage rates and utilize this information to make recommendations for which items are feasible to maintain periodic automatic replenishment (PAR).
Establish stock levels based on analysis of past usage rates, various medical considerations, knowledge of inventory management system, and procurement operations and requirements.
Process outdated, unusable, and excess inventory for return to respective manufacturers for replacement of usable formulary items or credit.
Assist in recalls of drugs, as required, to checking applicable lots and informing appropriate personnel.
Serve as point of contact and subject matter expert for the organization on the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).
Maintain requirements as determined for DSCSA.
Review P&T Committee minutes and determine stock requirements and order appropriately.
Assist the Supervisory Pharmacist in drug cost analysis to assure continuing maximal economy.
Assist the Supervisory Pharmacist in cost usage analysis of high cost medications to identify the inpatient and outpatient high usage areas and the usage trends.
Coordinate stock requirements analysis and recommend appropriate stock (PAR) levels and quantities to order based on drug use trends, referencing Drug Utilization Effectiveness (DUE) reports.
Advise the Supervisory Pharmacist on budget projections and usage trends affecting expenditures.
Effectively manage prime vendor orders on a daily basis and share in the responsibility for the overall management of a pharmaceutical budget in excess of $16 million annually.
Function as a resource person to all members of the pharmacy staff regarding inventory status and control.
Provide orientation and training, as required, for staff members, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy aids, etc.
Assist pharmacists in determining high priority of emergency requirements and initiate procurement activity to local wholesale source.
Initiate and complete all orders for controlled substances including local requirements, DEA requirements (including completing DEA forms) and other state and local requirements that might apply.
Perform any duties and special projects deemed necessary to a Supervisory Pharmacist for the proper operation of the Pharmacy Department.
Perform a variety of pharmacy technician activities, as needed.
Review, interpret, and accurately fill individual prescriptions.
Perform the basic technical processes entailed in dispensing prescriptions.
Demonstrate customer service skills while communicating effectively with medical professionals, other hospital staff and patients.
For medication refills, provide independent patient medication counseling, including, verification of patient identification and verification of patient medication use, answering specific medication questions and eliciting medication related problems that may require a pharmacist consultation.
Participate in staff meetings and continuing education programs.
Assist with maintaining the pharmacy drug file in the computer system for billing purposes, updating National Drug Code (NDC) and pricing information.
Return medication to stock and submit proper documentation to the online billing.
Prepare sterile solutions in the pharmacy utilizing scrupulous aseptic technique.
Receive and review physician orders for intravenous solutions, checking with the pharmacist if discrepancies, such as incomplete or unusual dose orders are noted.
Calculate and convert to proper weight, measure the amount of drug needed for the IV admixture, and set up the necessary drugs and solutions.
Answer questions from physicians, nurses, and other staff on availability of specific items (e.g. drugs in stock, new drugs on order and dosage forms available in the pharmacy).
Refer judgmental or unfamiliar questions or problems to the pharmacist.
Perform inventory and place order based on PAR levels.
Prepare and submit order to review through use of hand held device.
Receive and stock order with appropriate documentation and rotation of stock.
Assure that medication stocks are rotated and are stored under appropriate conditions.
Order supplies and IV solutions from supply services through their system.
Observe policies, procedures, and guidelines with respect to controlled substance inventory.
Perform other duties as assigned.