Pharmacy Technician, Correctional Health Services

Physician Affiliate Group of New York • New York, NY

8h • $36 - $36 • Onsite

About The Position

The Pharmacy Technician performs technical tasks in unit dose, carry, and outpatient drug distribution systems, along with other duties of a satellite pharmacy. All work performed by the technician is subject to approval by a registered pharmacist. The position is based in a jail pharmacy and clinic/infirmary areas and floats across Rikers Island and borough houses. It involves routine interaction with inmates, healthcare and correctional personnel, outside agencies, auditors, and regulatory inspectors.

The technician supports medication distribution, inventory control, packaging, records, and pharmacy operations. They prepare and deliver medication after pharmacist approval, maintain patient and medication records, operate repackaging equipment, and help ensure that pharmacy and clinic areas are stocked, clean, and orderly. They maintain confidentiality and refer patients to a pharmacist or clinic when medication questions or concerns require further attention.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalency diploma.
• Must be a Registered Pharmacy Technician in New York.
• Completion of an approved Pharmacy Technician Training program or demonstrated equivalent experience.
• New hires or promotions must be certified pharmacy technicians by PTCB, as of January 2012.
• Demonstrated pharmacy competence and independent decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
• Knowledge of brand and generic drug names and drug uses.
• Ability to use email, scanners, copiers, and fax machines.
• Ability to read, write, speak, and understand English.
• Ability to lift frequently up to 20 pounds, help push or pull medication carts weighing up to 300 pounds down long hallways, and lift up to 35 pounds when needed.
• Ability to walk frequently, sometimes long distances; stand for extended periods; sit; and perform frequent reaching, bending, and twisting.
• Adequate range of motion in both hands, ability to reach forward and overhead, and manual dexterity to use a keyboard, mouse, and handheld scanner.
• Ability to read labels and reports and to hear.

Responsibilities

• Collect medication orders from clinic and mini-clinic areas and scan orders to other buildings or the central pharmacy.
• Help maintain accurate patient profiles by notifying the pharmacist of changes to patient names, identification numbers, or housing.
• Fill and label patient cassettes, carry and non-carry medication bags, discharge medications, DOT medications, and other prescribed doses for pharmacist checking.
• Review court medication lists and Pyxis availability, supply morning court medication doses when needed, and arrange for medications to be added to Pyxis when appropriate.
• Enter methadone statistics, review methadone distribution records, record missed doses in the database, and notify the pharmacist of relevant information.
• Verify methadone dose information when contacted by outside clinics by reviewing administration records.
• Print and review transfer reports, identify current medications, prepare needed doses for pharmacist checking, and alert the pharmacist about methadone or DOT medications.
• Contact other building pharmacies to obtain needed DOT medication administration records or methadone distribution sheets.
• Transport and exchange patient cassettes in medication clinic areas, and file and update fill lists, distribution lists, methadone sheets, and related materials.
• Check, rotate, and restock drug stock areas; fill Pyxis machines; maintain non-Pyxis floor-stock par levels; and record stock issues.
• Inspect medication storage areas monthly for outdated medications and supplies, prepare outdated-drug manifests, and pack medications for return to Central Medical Supply.
• Prepare weekly pharmacy stock orders for pharmacist review, enter and transmit orders, reconcile deliveries with packing slips or invoices, report discrepancies, and put away and rotate stock.
• Prepare and record prepackaged extemporaneous unit-dose medication and maintain required packaging records and controls.
• Record daily statistics and other required statistical or survey information; send information by fax or email as requested.
• Use pharmacy and medical computer systems to enter and retrieve data as directed by the pharmacist and permitted by law, and print or reprint reports and labels.
• Maintain pharmacy areas, including medication packaging areas, in a clean, orderly, and well-stocked condition; help arrange sanitation and cleaning.
• Allow new personnel to shadow, support quality assurance and improvement activities, and compare medical and pharmacy computer outputs to report missing data.
• Remind patients about medications and pickup procedures when appropriate, and refer patients with questions, noncompliance, or difficulty tolerating medication to a pharmacist or clinic.
• Distribute pharmacist-approved medication to correctly identified patients for self-administration at the proper time; document receipt and days supplied on the medication distribution record and by computer entry.
• Report medication-distribution delays or problems to the appropriate correctional staff or on-island administrator and provide follow-up updates.
• Maintain confidentiality of pharmacy and clinical information and dispose of unneeded reports and labels in designated shredding containers.
• Set up and operate liquid and solid unit-dose repackaging machines, and maintain their cleanliness and proper condition after each run.
• Package oral solid medications in plastic zip-lock bags for the carry system.
• Assist colleagues and maintain professional, cooperative conduct and communication with pharmacy staff, patients, visitors, correctional personnel, and outside contacts.
• Perform other related duties as requested by the pharmacist or manager.

Benefits

• 401(k) account for employee contributions; employees are immediately vested in their contributions.
• Healthcare and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
• Pre-tax employee-paid contributions for commuting expenses.
• Benefits are provided through the 1199 union.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED