GENERAL CLASS DESCRIPTION:

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Performs activities associated with unit inventory maintenance in dispensing areas and complete order forms which are used internally for obtaining drugs.
2. Performs activities associated with institutional-wide inventory maintenance and complete order forms which are used for obtaining drugs from vendors. Receive and verify shipments of schedule II, III, IV, V controlled substances.
3. Processes drug orders written by physicians for inpatients, outpatients, clinic patients, and patient care area floorstock supplies by: interpreting the order, calculating the dosage, packaging the order, and labeling the product. Assess the need to affix patient-specific instructions for self-administration to the drug container.
4. Processes inpatient medication orders by translating the written physician order into the appropriate computerized order entry system.
5. Delivers medications including patient-specific and floorstock supplies of schedule II, III, IV, V controlled substances to patient care areas. Maintain and executive records of floorstock including inventory and discrepancy reports on schedule II, III, IV, V controlled substances. Maintain keys and exercise access to safes containing schedule II, III, IV V controlled substances.
6. Generates and/or maintain appropriate records related to medication distribution and dispensing.
7. Utilizes various equipment including Automix and Micromix, tablet counters, label printers, laser report printers, computer keyboards/terminals, pharmaceutical packaging equipment (including ATC-212), and pneumatic tube station.
8. Utilizes aseptic technique in horizontal and vertical flow hoods to prepare sterile products, including cytotoxic drugs, in single doses.
9. Packages nonsterile products in bulk supplies and single doses.
10. Calculates doses and compound parenteral nutrition solutions. Using a physician-specified concentration of amino acids, calculate total volume needed as well as the volume of each component to achieve the specified concentration.
11. Maintains correct stock of prescription labels and order new stock. Establish and maintain the appropriate label format on the computer, and resolve software and hardware problems when they arise.
12. Compounds drugs and chemicals for patient care, laboratory and research areas by mixing, weighing, measuring drugs and chemicals to create products and drug dosage forms not otherwise available in final form from a manufacturer.
13. Assists the pharmacists in conducting monthly inspections of all medications stored on patient care areas.
14. Provides functional supervision to student technicians and clerical staff as required.
15. Participates in orientation of pharmacy technicians, pharmacist, pharmacy residents, and senior pharmacy students on rotation in the department.
16. Communicates with public, patients and health care personnel.
17. Maintains area orderliness and cleanliness.

KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

1. Knowledge of the metric system.
2. Knowledge of drug and medical nomenclature.
3. Knowledge of most common drugs and their uses and usual doses.
4. Knowledge of the computerized pharmacy medication order entry system.
5. Ability to use various equipment including computers, typewriters, and pharmaceutical packaging equipment.
6. Ability to use a computer keyboard to translate written physician orders into the computerized medication order entry system.
7. Ability to interpret the physician's orders.
8. Ability to perform drug calculations.
9. Ability to work safely and willingness to comply with special safety and health precautions.
10. Ability to maintain effective working relationships.
11. Ability to lift, stand for an entire shift as required, and deliver medications to meet standard and emergent patient care requirements according to department policies and procedures.
12. Ability to maintain records and responsibility for controlled substances.
13. Ability to maintain inventory of drugs and supplies.
14. Ability to train and direct the work of the clerical staff.
15. Ability to use pharmaceutical compounding equipment for compounding sterile and non-sterile products.
16. Ability to translate physician orders into patient specific labels for self administration of medication.
    

MINIMUM ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

1. Ability to read, write and follow directions.
2. High school graduation including a general mathematics course, or the equivalent.
3. Ability to type a minimum speed of 15 net words per minute.
4. 1. One year experience as a Pharmacy Technician, or
   2. Two years experience in a position directly related to the natural sciences, or
   3. Two years post high school education in the natural sciences or related area, or
   4. A combination of related experience and related post high school education to equal two years.