Pharmacy Technician

Job Summary

Job Title: Pharmacy TechnicianLocation: New Mexico VA Health Care SystemJob Type: Full-time, Temporary/Contract Staffing

Company Overview:Aptive is a leading healthcare staffing agency that provides qualified, skilled professionals to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We are currently seeking a highly skilled Pharmacy Technician to provide support at various VA healthcare facilities across the region. This position requires a commitment to quality patient care and effective medication management, in line with VA standards and practices.

Position Summary:As a Pharmacy Technician, you will be responsible for assisting pharmacists in dispensing medication, preparing compounded sterile products, and supporting the operation of automated and manual pharmacy equipment. You will work closely with the healthcare team to ensure that all medication orders are processed accurately and efficiently, and maintain the highest standards of safety and compliance.

 

Pharmacy services are operational 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days a year. The pharmacy technicians are subject to varying work hours depending on staffing needs and may be revised as deemed appropriate by the respective pharmacy section supervisor with approval from the COR. Work hours may consist of the following 8-12 hr. tours with a minimum of a 12-hour rest period between shifts. Staff will be expected for weekend and holiday coverage. Lunch times of 30 minutes and break times will be determined pending daily workload demands.

Primary Responsibilities

General Duties:

• Medication Preparation & Dispensing: Accurately prepare, package, label, and dispense prescription medications, including sterile compounded products and bulk prescriptions. Ensure the correct dosage, drug, and supplies are provided.
• Inventory Management: Maintain accurate inventories, rotate stock, check expiration dates, and replenish medications as needed. Ensure all medications are stored according to required standards.
• Pharmacy Automation Operations: Operate pharmacy automation systems including Med Carousel, ScriptPro, Omnicell, and Pick Point. Perform preventative maintenance, including cleaning and making minor equipment adjustments.
• Patient & Staff Communication: Answer telephone calls from patients and healthcare professionals, respond to medication inquiries, and document interactions in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS). Provide accurate information to patients and staff regarding prescriptions, including handling expired, deleted, or unavailable drugs.
• Compliance & Documentation: Maintain proper documentation for all prescriptions, including original prescriptions, patient profiles, and related records in accordance with federal regulations and VA policies. Ensure the safe handling of hazardous materials and waste.
• Prescription Processing: Process refill requests, create prescription labels, and manage medication orders for travel and delivery to Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) or other VA facilities.
• Clinical Support: Support pharmacists in verifying and processing medication orders, managing drug supply replenishment, and preparing medication for bubble packing for long-term care facilities.
• Inspection & Quality Control: Perform inspections of assigned areas (e.g., outpatient clinics, emergency rooms, inpatient pharmacy) to ensure proper stock rotation, expiration date checks, and proper medication handling. Quarantine expired medications and document actions taken.
• Patient Safety: Verify patient identity using two identifiers, ensuring patient confidentiality and safety in all interactions and dispensing practices.

Outpatient Pharmacy Duties:

• Assemble prescriptions with the correct drug, strength, quantity, auxiliary labels, and prescription labels for window dispensing and mail delivery.
• Ensure that the correct medication is filled by using barcode scanning on stock bottles.
• Manually complete prescriptions that are not processed through the automation dispensing machine.
• Verify the patient's identification according to the Medical Center's policies (i.e., double patient identifiers).
• Utilize VA software programs to check narratives and resolve delivery issues for patients with no physical address.
• Assist the Hometown Pharmacist with CMOP reject reports and reprint or re-submit labels to CMOP once stock availability is confirmed.
• Monitor MEDS ON ADMISSION and DISCHARGE MEDICATIONS. If the patient is still in the hospital or ha