Pharmacy Technician, Certified or Trainee, Ambulatory Care, ASC/CCC

The University of Iowa Health Care Department of Pharmaceutical Care is seeking a full time Pharmacy Technician, certified or trainee to work in our Clinical Cancer Center and Ambulatory Surgery Center pharmacies. This position is under general pharmacist supervision, coordinates and performs as necessary the technical activities of dispensing areas, also requires one on one contact with patients in their hospital room, discretionary patient room entry and collaboration with hospital unit staff.  Under general supervision of technician supervisor, carries out activities supportive of development, coordination, and training of assigned areas. Provides functional supervision as required. The hours worked will be 8 hour shifts with hours between 7:00 am - 7:00 pm.

The Department of Pharmaceutical Care intends to hire at either the Pharmacy Technician, Trainee classification, or Pharmacy Technician, Certified, based on the qualifications of the successful candidate. Please indicate in your application materials the position you wish to be considered for or indicate both.

 Duties to include:

• Provide patient/customer service.  Communicate with the general public, patients, and other health care personnel in accordance with established guidelines.  Receive and screen prescriptions for completeness and check for prescription readiness.

  • Conduct interview with patient or patient’s representative to collect and record patient profile information.
  • Screen prescriptions for completeness and formulary status.
  • Determine waiting/pick-up time and fill out patient call check.
  • Triage prescription to appropriate team.  Recognize workflow patterns for effective triage of prescriptions.
  • Answer telephone lines and triage phone calls per established policies and procedures.

• Utilize and maintain the ScriptPro Robot

  • Fill cells/cassettes
  • Clean cells/cassettes
  • Map brand changes/assign drugs to cells
  • Return unwanted prescriptions to cells
  • Daily maintenance

• Fill/refill prescriptions

  • Read label for accuracy and correct as needed.
  • Label and package the correct medication.

• Accurately compound medications requested for prescriptions, clinic doses, and inpatients

• Answer the dedicated prescription refill telephone line

• Generate prescription refill label

  • Verify address for prescription(s) to be mailed and the date medication is needed.
  • Fill out call check and note pickup time or date to be mailed.
  • Prepare prescriptions for mailing and shipping according to established policies and procedures.

• Perform inventory maintenance activities.

  • Return to stock medications that have not been picked up by patients.
  • Order supplies from Hospital Stores.
  • Perform daily and monthly drug inventories as requested.

• Generate and/or maintain (includes filing) appropriate records related to prescription dispensing such as hard copies of prescriptions, hemophiliac patient profiles, mailing/shipping forms/logs, and prescription quality assurance audits.

• Perform activities involving narcotics and controlled substances including:

  • Conduct weekly and monthly inventories.
  • Order replacement supplies from internal source.
  • Audit records associated with dispensing of narcotics and controlled substances.
  • Resolve discrepancies on issuance forms

• Conduct assigned audits in patient care clinic areas (Certified Technicians Only)

• Audit area for compliance with medication security, segregation of dosage forms, expiration dates, approved samples, Emergency Medication Tray expiration date, appropriate drug storage and references.

• Maintain area orderliness and cleanliness.

• Assist in on-the-job training of new technicians.

• Coordinate technical activities with other members of team.

• Complete and maintain compliance with all competencies and educational requirements.

This position may also support both pediatric and adult ambulatory care operations at a UI Health Care central fill pharmacy location.

Certified Technician Minimum Eligibility Requirements:

1. Registered with the Pharmacy Board at the time of hire.
2. National certification through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the National Healthcareer Association (NHA). Must meet ongoing education requirements and maintain certification.
3. High school diploma or the equivalent.
4. Experience
1. Any combination of two years of post-high school experience and/or education in the natural sciences OR
2. Satisfactory completion of an accredited pharmacy technician training program

Trainee Technician Minimum Eligibility Requirements:

1. Registered with the Pharmacy Board at the time of hire.
2. All pharmacy technicians must be certified within one year of employment.
3. High school diploma or the equivalent.
4. Experience:
1. Any combination of two years of post-high school experience and/or education in the natural sciences OR
2. Satisfactory completion of an accredited pharmacy technician training program.

Special Qualifications:

• Experience with Public Contact/Customer Service

Desired Qualifications:

• Ability to perform ratio/proportion equations
• Experience with inventory maintenance activities
• Experience working in team environment
• Experience working in detail-oriented work environment
• Knowledge of windows-based computer programs
• Experience working in environment requiring accuracy
• Experience working in healthcare with one-on-one patient interaction & experience handling challenging interactions in work environment.
• Prefer National Career Readiness Certificate at Silver Level

Position and Application details:

Resume is preferred to be considered for an interview, applicants must upload the document and mark them as a “Relevant File” to the submission:

Job openings are posted for a minimum of 10 calendar days and may be removed from posting and filled any time after the original posting period has ended.

Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process. 

For additional questions, please contact Teresa Walker at teresa-walker@uiowa.edu

The Department of Pharmaceutical Care intends to hire at either the Pharmacy Technician, Trainee classification, Pay Grade 8, or Pharmacy Technician, Certified, Pay Grade 10, based on the qualifications of the successful candidate. Please indicate in your application materials the position you wish to be considered for or indicate both.