Pharmacy Technician - Central Operations

Yale New Haven Health•New Haven, CT

10d

About The Position

The Pharmacy Technician performs technical duties associated with pharmaceutical services, including medication distribution, inventory management, automation and technology processes, and other duties within the scope of practice as required by departmental needs. Employees are expected to support YNHHS’s Vision and Mission and demonstrate its Values of integrity, patient-centeredness, respect, accountability, and compassion. As members of a High Reliability Organization, employees are expected to practice CHAMP and STAR behaviors, prioritize patient safety, uphold professional behavior standards, and promote patient-centered care and fiscal responsibility. The role involves preparing and delivering medications, managing inventory and medication storage, assisting pharmacists, and using pharmacy and hospital technology. Depending on the work area, technicians may also perform compounding, packaging, purchasing, operating-room, pediatrics, investigational-drug, controlled-substance, oncology, specialty-pharmacy, or medication-history duties. Technicians communicate with nursing, provider, and ancillary staff and maintain records in accordance with departmental policies, regulatory standards, and HIPAA. The position may involve on-call shifts and coverage across day, evening, and overnight shifts. Employees are considered essential personnel and are expected to work when scheduled during inclement weather. Work includes walking, sitting, standing, and crouching, with lifting requirements and occasional exposure to mechanical parts, airborne particles, fumes, and hazardous chemicals. The work environment has moderate noise.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
At least six months of pharmacy technician or healthcare experience; completion of an academic or military pharmacy technician training program may count as equivalent to one year of pharmacy technician experience.
Current state pharmacy technician registration or licensure, or eligibility to obtain it before the start date, as required by the state regulatory agency.
Active Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) certification or equivalent by the date of hire or within 12 months of hire.
Excellent customer service and communication skills.
Proficiency in mathematical calculations.
Ability to work effectively with computers and technology equipment, including basic troubleshooting.
Ability to meet the physical demands of walking, sitting, standing, and crouching; regularly lift or move up to 10 pounds, frequently up to 25 pounds, and occasionally up to 50 pounds.
Ability to work on-call shifts and across day, evening, and overnight coverage, and to work during inclement weather when scheduled.

Nice To Haves

College degree.
Successful completion of an academic or military hospital pharmacy technician training course.
Hospital experience.

Responsibilities

Accurately pick, prepare, package, label, and deliver medications to designated patient-care storage areas, including automated dispensing cabinets and medication refrigerators.
Use appropriate packaging for medications, such as bags, vials, bottles, jars, syringes, and oral syringes.
Fulfill, sort, and deliver stat orders, new orders, refills, stock-out requests, transfers, and recalls accurately and promptly.
Maintain safe and appropriate medication storage, including adequate par levels, suitable storage conditions, stock rotation, and separation of sound-alike/look-alike medications.
Assist pharmacists in providing pharmaceutical care and replenish medications for emergency trays, including code carts and anesthesia supplies.
Handle and dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous waste appropriately, maintain a clean and stocked work area, and complete pharmacy services within established timeframes.
Identify and escalate concerns related to pharmacy care and medication distribution.
Maintain medication inventory at appropriate par levels; rotate stock based on expiration dates and usage; remove expired or soon-to-expire medications from distribution; and receive and replenish wholesaler orders accurately.
Use hospital-specific handheld tablets with barcode-scanning functionality.
Demonstrate proficiency in medication distribution and automation/technology processes, and in one or more additional pharmacy practice areas.
Perform mathematical calculations and drug-product manipulation, dilution, or compounding as needed to prepare and label unit-dose oral solids, liquids, and injectables according to policies and regulatory standards.
Prepare hazardous-category products in accordance with departmental safety guidelines, OSHA regulations, and industry standards.
Document manufactured medications, controlled-substance movement, packaged medications, and investigational drugs in accordance with policy and regulatory standards.
Use aseptic technique, infection control, and universal precautions as instructed for the assigned work area.
Use and troubleshoot pharmacy technology, including electronic medical records, automated dispensing systems, inventory software, carousels, packaging software, sterile-product workflow systems, barcode-labeling programs, and RFID technology as applicable.
Respond to inquiries from nursing, providers, and ancillary staff by telephone, in person, or electronically; triage and follow up appropriately and professionally.
Follow HIPAA guidelines in all communications and maintain appropriate records for compounding, packaging, and controlled-substance distribution.
Work on-call shifts as required and report to work during inclement weather when scheduled as essential personnel.