What are the responsibilities and job description for the Pharmacy Technician position at KLAMATH HEALTH PARTNERSHIP INC?
OUR VALUES
At KHP, we value compassion, inclusivity, integrity, teamwork, and respect. As part of our team, you’ll contribute to a positive working environment while providing culturally appropriate care to our patients.
POSITION SUMMARY
Pharmacy Technicians provide technical support working under the supervision of a pharmacist in the processing of prescriptions and the maintenance of our Pharmacy Department. Pharmacy technicians are required to maintain compliance with the State of Oregon Pharmacy Board Rules and Regulations, DEA and KHP policies.
Pharmacy technicians will sell and dispense prescriptions, perform prescription data entry, bill third parties, utilize the KHP Pharmacy Prescription Plan when patients qualify, ensure 340B compliance, prepare and label prescriptions, perform inventory management, clean and maintain and an organized pharmacy, answer telephones, answer patient and staff questions, and appropriately refer when needed and/or required.
The pharmacy technician position has two (2) levels;
- Level 1 is our entry level licensed Pharmacy Technician position where you will be expected to learn, produce and demonstrate knowledge and skills.
- Level 2 requires Nationally recognized Pharmacy Technician Certification, Certified Oregon Pharmacy Technician license, and a minimum of two years applicable experience or successful completion one full year as a Pharmacy Tech 1 at KHP.
Pharmacy technicians are expected to uphold our principles which include offering compassion and treating others with kindness and respect, value inclusivity, acting with integrity, valuing opinions of others, work as a team, and maintaining a respectful working environment. Staff are required to provide excellent customer service with patients, coworkers, community partners and the public, while maintaining professionalism, ensuring confidentiality, using culturally appropriate techniques and communication with patients in their preferred language.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Sell and Dispense Prescriptions from the Pharmacy
- Complete the sale of patients’ prescriptions.
- Ensure the accuracy in handing the patient the correct prescriptions, ensure the prescriptions are properly signed for, patient receives counseling by the pharmacist as required.
- Use the cash register adhering to company cash handling policies and procedures.
- Complete curbside delivery as assigned.
- Observe the waiting area to ensure that patients are not missed and communicate with patients the status of their wait time.
- Communicate with Pharmacy staff in knowing which patients are waiting for prescriptions and assist in coordinating priority of patients waiting for prescriptions.
- Maintain a clean, professional, sanitary, organized working environment of the pharmacy reception area and the Pharmacy Counsel areas.
- Ensure that the reception area is kept clear of patient identifiable information and is not within view of patients to ensure confidentiality.
- Receive new prescription hardcopies and refill requests from patients or caregivers.
- Accurately record and update patient’s demographic information, insurance and sliding fee information, allergies, and other documents for pharmacy use within the pharmacy computer system.
- Use the clinic EHR to retrieve demographic, billing and sliding fee information.
- Maintain and organize prescription will call area.
- Receive prescription hardcopies from patients and obtain required information to process the prescription including demographics, insurance, allergies, medical conditions and sliding fee info.
Prescription Data Entry
- Perform accurate data entry of prescriptions into the pharmacy computer system for processing new and refill prescriptions.
- Accurately enter correct patient, prescriber, drug, quantity, directions, days’ supply, etc.
- Perform accurate third-party claims submission, including selection of correct third-party plan, billing override codes, contacting third-party insurers for claim questions or need, and claim submission override codes.
- Ensure of KHP Prescription Assistance Plan and ensure eligibility per procedures.
- Submit refill requests and prior authorization to prescriber office.
- Review the patient profile to retrieve information as directed by pharmacist.
- Sort and file completed pharmacy prescription hardcopies in numerical order in a timely manner.
- Perform “returning to stock” (cancel prescription and third-party claims for prescription not picked up) according to procedures
Prescription Filling (Preparation and Labeling)
- Prioritize and organize the Printing of Prescription labels and Patient education paperwork.
- Prioritize work and maintain speed and accuracy while preparing and filling prescription orders.
- Ensure one patient prescription per work area, and place used drug inventory in designated location to maintain safe workspaces.
- Return to inventory in timely manner
- Accurately prepare and label prescription for final verification by pharmacist.
- Reconstitute/restore medication previously altered for preservation and storage (accuracy checked by licensed pharmacist)
Inventory Management and Drug Handling
- Receives Inventory from wholesaler. Verifies inventory received against invoices to make sure that all items received are correct.
- Reports all discrepancies to the appropriate person in accordance with established policies and procedures.
- Ensure drug inventory is stored in assigned location and organized, including refrigerated items and DEA controlled drug Inventory.
- Ensure controlled drug inventory cabinets are secure, closed and locked.
- Accurately performs drug inventory counts for assigned areas according to procedures.
- Removes expired pharmacy products from inventory and places them in assigned area that is quarantined from use.
- Order drug inventory to ensure on hand quantities sufficient for patient and inventory needs and limiting on-hand inventory to prevent waste.
- Monitor refrigerator temperature throughout the day, notifying PIC or assigned staff when temperature out of range.
- Handles Hazardous Drug according to Pharmacy SOPs
- Ensures compliance with DSCSA requirements per pharmacy SOP’s.
Patient Eligibility and 340B Compliance
- Adhere to all KHP 340B Policies and Procedures
- Ensure patient eligibility prior to and during data entry. Select correct inventory selection for 340B compliance.
Customer Service
- Greet and communicate with patients, visitors and caregivers employing professional customer service standards. Maintain a professional, friendly, respectful, and courteous attitude.
- Exercise good judgment, diplomacy, and tact in dealing with sensitive, complex situations.
- Act professionally, and empathetically, with individuals and communities.
- Promote a culture of respect, inclusiveness, and appreciation of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and values.
- Assist patient communication needs, for example, patient’s language they understand, literacy level, comfort, concerns, etc.
- Assist and respond to questions from staff and patients that do not require a pharmacist’s professional expertise or judgment.
- Answer telephone calls, transferring calls when necessary; and answering routine and procedural inquiries.
- Ensure questions are handled appropriately or referred to appropriate staff member within or outside the pharmacy.
Compliance
- Ensure compliance with all KHP, Oregon Board of Pharmacy, DEA, and HRSA requirements.
- Recognize training and experience limitations and not “overextend” themselves when matters are more appropriately handled by a pharmacist or supervisor.
- Ask questions and clarify information.
- Refer all medication and clinical related questions to the pharmacist.
- Immediately reports any patient concerns, errors or near misses, and patient concerns to the pharmacist and PIC.
- Ensure that the pharmacy is maintained secure at all times. Ensure all doors are closed and locked, only allowing authorized personnel into the pharmacy at the discretion of the pharmacist, and ensuring pharmacist monitors visitors at all times.
- Disposes of confidential information into proper receptacle for destroyed, and trash placed in receptacle for disposal.
- Maintain confidentiality in dealing with patients, caregivers and other persons in communications.
- Handles protected health information (PHI) in a manner consistent with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
Cleaning and Organization
- Maintain an organized, safe and confidential workspace.
- Maintain assigned work areas and equipment in clean and orderly condition.
- Assist pharmacy with stocking of vials, caps, paper, bags and other supplies required for daily operations.
Teamwork
- Foster close working relationships within the department. Contributes to and continually builds a positive work environment.
- Maintains a positive attitude towards co-workers and patients alike.
- Effectively communicates with all staff regarding but not limited to current projects, workflow improvement strategies, and overall pharmacy systems management.
- Respect boundaries and limit distractions to ensure a professional and safe working environment.
- Support training needs of others, including training others as assigned, and assisting with questions to share knowledge to the benefit of others.
Other responsibilities
- Assist the pharmacy with all operational programs and activities as assigned.
- Attend all mandatory KHP trainings in a timely manner.
- As requested by supervisors, perform other tasks within their scope of work.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Oregon State Board of Pharmacy Technician licensure
- High school diploma or GED
- Required to submit to and clear an alcohol/drug screen and random testing and meet immunization requirements as stated in the KHP immunization policy.
- Proficiency in written and spoken English.
- Required to acquire and maintain BLS certification with 180 days of hire.
- Free from exclusion from providing federal health care benefits including Medicare and Medicaid as per the Federal OIG and GSA exclusion lists.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Oregon Board of Pharmacy Certified Pharmacy Technician licensure
- Two or more years current experience as pharmacy technician in working with patients and with professional and technical staff, including order entry, filling prescriptions, insurance billing, inventory management, ordering/returns/stocking.
- Proficiency in English and Spanish, both spoken and written language
- Experience working with special pharmacy programs or products that benefit the pharmacy.
- Completion of accredited pharmacy technician training program
- Experience assisting and training and/or supervising technicians or clerks.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
- Must have some typing skills. Emphasis will be on accuracy and attention to detail.
- Skill and ability to operate a computer/word processor.
- Previous working knowledge of pharmacy computer systems is desired.
- Knowledge and use of proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation skills.
- Ability to communicate orally and in writing. This person should be able to express themselves in a clear and concise manner for the purpose of obtaining information or conveying messages between clients and other staff members.
- Ability to function effectively under pressure of time and/or demands of several tasks at once by effectively planning, organizing and prioritizing workload.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
- Standing/Walking: up to 100%
- Sitting: up to 50%
- Lifting/Carrying: less than 5%
- May occasionally lift up to 30 lbs.
- Ability to stoop, bend; will reach frequently.
- May occasionally use step stool.
- Must be able to type a minimum of 30 wpm.
- Must be able to open and close prescription and patient vials.
- Must be able to read for extended periods.
WORKING ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL HAZARDS
- Work in a well-lighted, ventilated environment.
- Exposure to drug vapors or particles (powdered antibiotics that are reconstituted, for example).
- Possible indirect exposure to blood borne pathogens; expected to observe infection control.
- Possible exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals.
ACCOMMODATIONS
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, talk, bend, lift, carry, write, and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit and use hands to finger, handle or feel. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.
SUPERVISORY CONTROLS
The immediate supervisor is the Pharmacy Manager. Assignments are performed according to Policy and Procedures set forth in the Pharmacy Standard Operating Procedures. New assignments will be provided in detail, as well as changes in current procedures. Major or new issues should be referred to the Pharmacy Manager or Chief Pharmacy Officer. Work will be checked for accuracy, adequacy, and timeliness. Employee shall seek guidance on unusual or difficult matters. After initial training, recurring assignments are completed independently. Completed work is spot checked for accuracy, adequacy and timeliness, and compliance with policies and procedures.
KHP EMPLOYEE POSITION DESCRIPTION
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I have received a position description or summary of the duties I am to perform. I understand what my duties entail and affirm that I possess the requisite knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, and education to perform the duties described. I can perform them with or without reasonable accommodation. I understand that jobs and duties are subject to change from time to time, as Klamath Health Partnership, Inc., its Board of Directors, Executive Director, or my immediate supervisor deem necessary. Thus, I may be required to perform duties other than those listed, and my job may change over time.
Unless otherwise approved and established by my immediate supervisor, I will be scheduled to work with a variable schedule between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. I understand that I am expected to report to work as scheduled, on time, prepared to start work, and will remain at work for my entire work schedule. I am responsible to avoid late arrival, early departure, or other disruptive absences from scheduled hours as far as practicable. My schedule will be prearranged by my departmental supervisor based upon the operational needs of Klamath Health Partnership, Inc., and in keeping with its core mission. I realize that staffing needs and operational demands may necessitate variations in starting and ending times, leave requests, as well as variations in the total hours that may be scheduled each day and week. I will seek guidance from my supervisor or the Human Resources Specialist for clarification of all scheduling questions, requests, and guidelines.
I understand that this position description is not a pledge of continued employment in this or any other job for any specific period of time or under any specific circumstances or conditions.This position description does not change the terms and conditions of the at-will employment relationship explained in the corporate policy handbook.
