Pharmacy Technologist Specialist - Huntsville Central Pharmacy in Huntsville, Texas at University of Texas Medical Branch

The mission of Correctional Managed Care is to address the healthcare needs of underserved patient populations within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD).

JOB SUMMARY:

Assists pharmacists in providing drug distribution, technical services, and clinical services associated with the preparation, storage, and dispensing of pharmaceuticals. Utilizes advanced skills in a specialty area and works in a campus-level or system-level capacity.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Performs the job functions and duties of Senior Pharmacy Technologist when needed.
• Collects data and analyzes complex information and prepares precise written summaries, reports, and/or recommendations for a variety of purposes for pharmacy leadership as appropriate or as directed.
• Assists with the maintenance of policies and standard operating procedures for area of specialty to ensure the pharmacy department meets all legal, accreditation, and certification requirements.
• Completes documentation and maintains records according to established policies and procedures.
• Essential job functions vary depending on the assigned specialty area:

Pharmacy Business

• Provides administrative support and completes clerical tasks.
• Serves as the department's timekeeper and is responsible for Kronos timekeeping and payroll management.
• Serves as the asset custodian and ensures equipment is tagged and the annual physical asset inventory is complete.
• Serves as the department records coordinator and ensures UTMB's records retention schedule is applied to all departmental records.
• Coordinates departmental events, meetings, and interviews, including conference room management.
• Orders and maintains office and facility supplies.
• Processes travel expenses, serves as the Citibank business travel account (CBA) custodian for the department, and ensures compliance travel rules.
• Issues institutional DEA cards for residents and fellows and other provider learners.
• Finds funding assistance for qualifying patients.
• Assists patients with completing required registration forms for pharmaceutical programs, reimbursement applications, copay cards, and other forms as needed for their care.
• Communicates alternatives to providers and office staff when appropriate and escalates to a pharmacist when requests require extensive clinical review or denial.
• Perform financial reconciliations (including accounts receivable) to identify program exceptions and variances. Analyze root cause and follow up with recommendations for appropriate corrections.
• Prepare and review monthly accounting reports and journal entries, validating for accuracy and completeness. Collaborate with accounting department to design accounting processes that accurately reflect business operations.
• Quantify and explain monthly budget to actual variances and provide budget re-projections; assist with annual budget process.
• Responsible for departmental accounts payment/invoice/voucher/check requisitions, and submittal of purchase orders and non-purchase orders for payment.

Medication Safety

• Contributes to organized initiatives to evaluate and improve the quality and safety of medication use within the healthcare system.
• Identifies, reports, and assists in resolution of potential or actual errors, omissions, unsafe practices, or illegal practices.
• Completes a variety of quality assurance and performance improvement audits such as JCAHO medication management, TSBP, and CMS compliance audits.

Informatics

• Ensures the integrity and accuracy of information in automated technology (e.g., compounding, repackaging, cartfill, and automated dispensing systems) and pharmacy information systems.
• Demonstrates proficiency with the operation and maintenance of automated technology and pharmacy information systems.
• Proficient with automated dispensing machine applications as they interface to other clinical systems and pharmacy equipment.
• Troubleshoots equipment and system problems.
• Identifies and reports issues related to informatics or automated technology and reports identified problems or potential patient safety issues.
• Schedules service with appropriate vendor, CES, or CISAC.
• Participates in the implementation, upgrade, and testing of pharmacy information and automation systems.
• Solicits and reviews feedback from end users, compiles, and analyzes support data and recommends procedural and educational changes as appropriate.
• Participates in vendors user groups and maintains relationship with vendors to remain knowledgeable and provides input about new and proposed system enhancements and functionality.

Training and Development

• Supports the professional development and training of staff through the coordination, oversight, development, and implementation of area-specific training upon hire and ongoing as needed.
• Makes recommendations to improve initiatives and/or specific training programs as appropriate.
• Provide expertise, oversight, and management of competency assessments.

Clinical Research

• Designs and implements procedures for the set-up of labeling, record keeping, and drug handling as required for the support of conducting clinical trials.
• Collaborates with study sponsors and investigators to reconcile and dispose of all unused investigational drug inventory in accordance with FDA regulations.
• Performs routine inspections as part of IDS quality assurance of investigational drug handling to ensure security, proper storage, complete record keeping, and adherence to protocols.
• Prepares investigational drugs per protocol for dispensing to study patients.

Clinical Services

• Works to improve patient outcomes by ensuring patients receive the safest and most effective medication regimen.
• Gathers clinical information on patients and conducts medication histories.
• Provides medication dispensing for patient's diagnosis, weight, and age.
• Provides specialized drug delivery for related new drugs or technologies.
• Provides education and counseling about the drug cost and financial assistance.
• Ensures compliance with medication safety standards for clinical specialty area.
• Provide pharmacy support to patients who are forced to use external pharmacies for their care, including helping patients troubleshoot issues with getting their prescriptions filled.
• Provides support and is a resource for clinical pharmacy services and the clinical pharmacists.
• Tracks completion of unit audits, pharmacist monthly reports, and goals.
• Supports functions of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee including preparation of meeting materials.
• Coordinates in-services, events, and meetings including conference room management.
• Supports pharmacist provision of in-person or telephonic/video-telehealth medication therapy management (MTM) services, drug therapy management (DTM) services, and immunization clinics.
• Assists with the preparation and completion of staff skill and competency assessments.

Hazardous Compounding

• Prepares complex hazardous sterile compounded IV products according to established procedures, and safety protocols.
• Prepares hazardous non-sterile extemporaneous compounded products according to established procedures, and safety protocols.
• Ensures compliance with USP 800 and medication safety standards for compounding environments.
• Assists with environmental and personnel sampling and testing.

Diversion

• Ensures compliance with DEA rules and regulations and monitors for controlled substance diversion.
• Completes audits of narcotic utilization, identifies at-risk practices, and presents findings.
• Responsible for following up on all narcotic-related discrepancies.
• OR controlled substance reconciliation.
• CII Safe reconciliation.

• Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.
• Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Has advanced skills in area of specialty.
• Must have current knowledge of safety regulations in the department and in the implementation of new policies and procedures.
• Proficient knowledge of operating system software, desktop applications such as excel, power point, etc., interfaces, and pharmacy information system applications as they relate to the automated dispensing machines.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and solve problems.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Communicates effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, work well under pressure, take initiative, and be flexible and cooperative.
• Able to spend most of the day standing, walking, or bending. Able to sit, stand, walk, bend, stoop, pull, reach, push up to 50 lbs., and regularly and occasionally lift 0-30 lbs.

EQUIPMENT:

Standard office equipment and pharmacy equipment.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Standard pharmacy environment.
• Working with the public.
• Work with chemotherapy and other bio-hazardous agents
• Working weekends and shift rotations when applicable.
• May be required to work overtime and extended shifts during emergencies.
• May be exposed to such occupational hazards as communicable diseases, blood borne pathogens, ionizing & non-ionizing radiation, hazardous medications and disoriented or combative patients or others.

Security clearance is required; pre-employment drug testing is also required.

REQUIRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

• High school or equivalent.
• Registered as a Pharmacy Technician with the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP).
• Three (3) years of technician experience with one (1) year of professional work experience in a related field of specialty.

OR

• One (1) year of pharmacy technician experience and an associate or bachelor's degree in a directly related field of specialty.

PREFERRED EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

• Associate or bachelor's degree in a directly related field of specialty.
• ACPE approved IV (sterile products) certification.

Salary is commensurate with years of relevant work experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity

UTMB Health strives to provide equal opportunity employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. As a Federal Contractor, UTMB Health takes affirmative action to hire and advance protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.