Pharmacy Technician

*Depending on the state in which you work, national certification may be required. If you are not currently certified as a technician, training on the job will be provided in addition to access to training materials to help you prepare for the national certification exam. 

Job Title: Pharmacy Technician

Reports to: Chief Pharmacist, Staff Pharmacist

Status: Non-Exempt

This position is full time and located in Brookings, SD. Desired schedule availability is Monday through Friday daytime. 

Summary

The Pharmacy Technician will act as a patient advocate by ensuring that patients follow their drug therapy plans as prescribed. This is done by assisting the Chief Pharmacist/Pharmacist in duties of preparing and distributing prescription medications that are within the scope of Lewis Drug policy and state and national regulations.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide prompt, friendly customer service to all patients in the pharmacy and customers throughout the store
• Learn Lewis Drug policies and procedures and perform them daily
• Establish and maintain good relationships with physicians and other healthcare providers
• Answer patient questions and troubleshoot and/or resolve them promptly
• Answer phone calls promptly and in a polite manner
• Assist in all customer service situations and finish customer transactions using the register
• Obtain and maintain pertinent information from patients so as to fill prescriptions accurately and efficiently
• Maintain the confidentiality of patients’ private medical information according to the HIPAA Act
• Process new and refill prescriptions within scope of practice
• Prepare paperwork and compile medications for delivery and mail out orders when needed
• Manage and serve drive-thru patients in an efficient manner (if applicable)
• Report any medication error to proper personnel
• Ability to log into a variety of software systems to perform daily technician functions
• Perform daily maintenance of automated devices within the pharmacy
• Stock supplies, clean work area, clean patient area, and prepare pharmacy for next day’s operations
• Promote Lewis initiatives and represent Lewis in a positive manner to our patients and communities
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Chief Pharmacist/Pharmacist

Additional Requirements

• Ability to learn basic drug terminology
• Ability to learn differences between brand and generic drugs
• Perform basic pharmaceutical calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, some algebra)
• Ability to multi-task and pay attention to detail
• Work effectively as part of a team to support the entire pharmacy, as well as individually
• Possess good organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Learn new software systems and type (data entry) accurately and efficiently
• Dependable in attendance and job performance
• Possess the initiative to plan for and complete daily activities in coordination with other pharmacy team members

Education, Experience, and Licensure

• State of Iowa Requirements
  • Register with the state Board of Pharmacy (BOP)
    • Must be at least 16 years old
    • Must be registered prior to the first day worked
  • Become a nationally certified pharmacy technician within 1 year of BOP registration
    • Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) certification is recommended
• State of Minnesota Requirements
  • Register with the state Board of Pharmacy (BOP)
    • Must be 18 and have a high school diploma or GED
    • Must be registered prior to the first day worked
  • Must complete BOP approved Lewis training within 1 year of BOP registration
• State of South Dakota Requirements
  • Register with the state Board of Pharmacy
    • Must be at least 16 years old
    • Must be registered within 30 days of employment
• Additional considerations that apply to all states:
  • Successful completion of an approved/accredited pharmacy technician program to become certified is desired but not required
  • Complete yearly CE requirements to maintain active license or as required per state
  • Additional pharmacy technician credentials/endorsements encouraged but not required

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to stand for long periods of time and move quickly from one workstation to another
• Work with full range of hands, wrists, and arms (i.e. Ability to pick up and pinch small items with fingers, and seize, hold, grasp or turn objects with hands)
• Constantly positions self or moves about the pharmacy to access product and supplies from varying height levels
• Ability to lift/move items up to 50 lbs occasionally, up to 20 lbs frequently, and up to 10 lbs constantly
• Visual requirements include vision from less than 20 inches to more than 20 feet with or without correction
• Must have depth perception, color vision (ability to identify and distinguish colors), and field of vision
• Must have ability to communicate verbally with staff and patients
• Must be able to handle multiple tasks in a fast paced setting (filling scripts, answering phones, waiting on patients, etc.)

Benefits (Full-time employees)

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• HSA, FSA, LPFSA options
• Voluntary options: life, long-term disability, life/long-term care hybrid, cancer, critical illness, accident, identity theft protection
• Employee discount, includes prescriptions
• Retirement savings (401k)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid volunteer time
• Company paid short term disability
• Company paid life insurance
• Discounted logowear
• Employee Assistance Program

Benefits (Part-time employees)

• Employee discount, includes prescriptions
• Retirement savings (401k)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Discounted logowear
• Employee Assistance Program