Job Summary
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Under the direct supervision of a pharmacist, provides advanced technical support and leadership in thepharmacy, including workflow management, process development and oversight, training and validation, andproject management. Fulfills the duties of a pharmacy technician regularly.
Minimum Qualifications
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Education/Training
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High school graduation or equivalent. Completion of an approved/accredited PharmacyTechnician training program preferred. College coursework preferred.
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Experience
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3 years pharmacy technician experience in acute care, hospital setting preferred, withdemonstrated increasing levels of responsibility.
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License/Certification/Registration
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Maryland Pharmacy Technician registration required. Pharmacy Techniciancertification through a nationally accredited certification examination (such as the Pharmacy TechnicianCertification Board, or equivalent) required.
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Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
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Verbal and written communication skills; knowledge of drug nomenclature and medical terminology;proficiency in basic mathematics, including fractions and decimals. Basic computer skills preferred.
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Primary Duties and Responsibilities
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Abides by recommendations from regulatory and advisory groups regarding safe medication principles, including look alike, sound alike and high alert drugs. Responds appropriately to medication occurrences.
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Adheres to all laws, regulations, and hospital policies regarding the management and handling of recalled, discontinued, unused, expired, or returned medications. Inspects returned medications for integrity before returning to pharmacy stock. Segregates outdated or recalled medications from pharmacy stock.
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Collaborates with other members of the pharmacy team on projects as necessary. This includes providing subject matter expertise; implementation oversight; evaluation and audit of systems effectiveness, and identifying opportunities for improvement and system redesign; develops and maintains policy and procedures.
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Contributes to staffing and service needs within the Pharmacy department. Must be able to meet all requirements of a pharmacy technician.
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Contributes to the achievement of established department goals and objectives and adheres to department policies, procedures, quality standards, and safety standards. Complies with governmental and accreditation regulations.
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Coordinates daily workflow and assignments for the Pharmacy Technicians, including preparation of schedules, evaluation of productivity, making adjustments accordingly.
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Ensures that medications are properly and safely stored throughout the hospital. Stores medications under conditions necessary to ensure stability. Secures medications in accordance with the hospital’s policy, law and regulation.
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Ensures that medications are selected and procured based on departmental criteria. Demonstrates a working knowledge of the formulary list and the formulary process. Adheres to policies and procedures regarding the procurement of non-formulary medications. Adheres to policies and procedures that address medication shortages, outages, emergency and disaster situations. If applicable, adheres to policies and procedures regarding the 340B Drug Pricing Program.
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Orients, mentors and trains other technical and support personnel. Assists in development, validation and evaluation of performance standards and competencies. Identifies educational requirements and training needs; assist in developing educational programs and materials to meet needs.
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Participates in multidisciplinary quality and service improvement teams and committees. Participates in meetings and on committees as requested, and represents the department and hospital in community outreach efforts.
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Participates in the evaluation of the hospital’s medication management system for risk points and identifies areas to improve safety. Represents the department and hospital in community outreach efforts.
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Performs other duties as assigned.
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Performs regular assessments and audits, ensures all technical activities are being performed and completed in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and policies, to include daily dispensing activities; automation replenishment; repackaging and compounding activities; unit inspections; IV clean room cleaning and documentation; others as applicable.
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Refills and replaces medications in automated medication dispensing machines throughout the hospital. Troubleshoots and services automated medication dispensing machines as needed. Appropriately labels all medications and chemicals used to prepare medications with contents, expiration dates and appropriated warnings. Routinely inspects all medication storage areas according to hospital’s policy.
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Safely and accurately prepares all medications in the most ready to administer form (including hazardous medications and sterile products), using proper techniques, calculations and appropriate precautions. Labels and packages medications according to hospital policy, applicable laws and regulations, and standards of practice to ensure safe, accurate administration (i.e. labels medications with the drug name, strength, quantity, beyond use date, patient name, patient location, and directions for use). Maintains documentation for all repackaged medications as required by departmental policy.
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Stores controlled substances in such a manner to prevent diversion in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations. Accounts for all unused, expired, or returned medications according to law. Utilizes automation where applicable.
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Transports medication to patient care units, placing in the designated delivery locations, within established departmental standards for turnaround times.
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Understands and takes appropriate action when a medication occurrence is identified. Complies with internal reporting requirements for medication occurrences using the Patient Safety Event system.
MedStar Health is dedicated to providing the highest quality care for people in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, while advancing the practice of medicine through education, innovation and research. Our 30,000 associates and 5,400 affiliated physicians work in a variety of settings across our health system, including 10 hospitals and more than 300 community-based locations, the largest visiting nurse association in the region, and highly respected institutes dedicated to research and innovation. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University for more than 20 years, MedStar is dedicated not only to teaching the next generation of doctors, but also to the continuing education and professional development of our whole team. MedStar Health offers diverse opportunities for career advancement and personal fulfillment.