Pharmacy Assistant

Under supervision of the Director and/or Staff Pharmacists, fills orders for unit dose, pre-packaged pharmaceuticals, and intravenous solutions in accordance with state and federal codes and regulations. Reports to: Director of Pharmacy.

Ensures availability of accurate pharmaceutical supplies to ancillary units by reading order, filling order, and delivering floor and narcotic stock orders.

Prepares intravenous solutions within standard protocol and aseptic techniques by reading and interpreting orders, calculating proper volume levels of additives needed, performing mathematical volume conversions, labeling prepared solutions, cleaning hood and IV area and restocking medications. Assists with the accurate and timely dispensing of daily patient medications by replenishing medicine carts for nursing units and filling routine patient orders for pharmaceuticals. 

Conducts rounds to all floors in order to deliver and retrieve medications, retrieve narcotics requisitions, and deliver intravenous solutions. Properly and promptly delivers medications via the pneumatic tube system.

 Fills emergency crash carts, anesthesia carts, and other specialty carts accurately. Replenishes medications in crash carts, delivers crash carts, and understands the hospital wide crash cart system.

Replenishes anesthesia drawers accurately and timely. Answers phone identifying self and department, responds to routine questions, and directs calls to appropriate personnel. Accurately and promptly counts, compounds, and re-packages pharmaceuticals using established procedures.

Repackages bulk medications in unit-dose packages safely and accurately per established procedures using appropriate techniques.

Process admissions, transfers, and discharge information by adjusting patient data in computer, entering charges, changing medication cart to proper patient room, and retrieving sealed items back to inventory, if appropriate.

Generates reports, fills lists, and labels as required. 

Ensures professional growth by participating in departmental and hospital orientation, educational in services, and outside programs. Organizes and prioritizes work assignments. Follows protocols for STAT orders. Keeps pharmacy areas clean, neat, and well organized. Keeps food and drinks out of medication storage areas. Keeps pharmacy equipment clean.

 Monitors supply levels, notifies if reorder is needed, rotates stock, and removes expired medications. Ensures main dispensing area and IV area are stocked adequately.

 Rotates stock and assures that the manufacturer's storage requirements are observed. Understands and completes wholesaler invoice approval processes.

 Performs other related duties as assigned to support achievement of Pharmacy goals and objectives.

Maintains knowledge of automated dispensing machines including login, patient profiles, returning medication, wasting medication, and discrepancy resolution.

Completes and documents all assigned medication storage area inspections. Documents medication temperature checks. 

Follows procedures for home medication documentation and storage.

Provides medication reconciliation in the ED and on the inpatient units where appropriate.

Prioritizes patients who have the potential for admission. Prints medication reconciliation information from previous admissions if available.

Discusses with RN/ED physician prior to patient interview. Conducts patient interview. Contacts PCP, admitting physician, or community pharmacy as needed to complete medication reconciliation list.

 Identifies medications that may be needed to be brought from home. Enters completed list into Med Host and Meditech. Sends completed list to pharmacy for review by a pharmacist. Completes additional documentation as required.

Required Skills Licenses: WV Pharmacy Tech (Trainee)

Populations Served □ Does not treat or care for patients. Protected Health Information Type of Protected Information Accessed: □ Demographic □ Clinical □ Insurance □ Financial □ Complete Medical Record Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure While performing this job, occupational exposure is present for all employees