Pharmacy Technician – UPMC Western MD

Pharmacy Technician, Associate (minimum hourly rate of $16.94):

• Completion of high school diploma or equivalent required AND one of the following:
  • Completion of an accredited pharmacy technician program
  • Six months of previous pharmacy technician experience
  • Six months experience as a Pharmacy Assistant within the UPMC Health System
  • Enrollment in a college program and in good standing

Pharmacy Technician, Intermediate (minimum hourly rate of $17.04):

• Completion of high school diploma or equivalent OR
• Completion of an accredited pharmacy technician program AND one of the following:
  • Two years of previous Pharmacy Technician experience OR
  • Enrollment in good standing as a pharmacy student.
• Demonstrated competency in THREE (3) of the following FOURTEEN (14) skills:
  • ORDER ENTRY: Assist with the order entry of medications into the pharmacy information system including IV admixtures and TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition), under the supervision of a pharmacist.
  • STERILE COMPOUNDING: Compound IV medications using appropriate aseptic technique in an accurate, efficient, and timely manner. Utilizing the pharmacy information system, generate any necessary sterile product reports, labels, or makes time changes; discontinue IV solutions with a high level of skill and accuracy. Able to perform the calculations involved in nutritional solution preparation.
  • CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC PREPARATION: Consistently has the ability to work in the Sterile Product area preparing cytotoxic and hazardous drugs (e.g. chemotherapy) with a high level of skill and expertise.
  • CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE HANDLING: Assist with controlled substance ordering, receiving, and filling, and maintain appropriate inventory documentation in compliance with Federal, State, and Department Regulations.
  • NON-STERILE PACKAGING: Able to package oral dosage forms including liquid formulations in the pharmacy packaging system.
  • INVENTORY PROCESSES: Maintain an understanding of best practices associated with inventory control processes, ordering, and receiving medication. Demonstrate a solid understanding related to laws, regulations, and policies and procedures related to procurement.
  • OR SERVICES: Understand and consistently assist with the daily operations within the operating room pharmacy, including drawing up syringes and filling kits, case trays, room boxes, etc., as well as appropriate inventory and ordering practices for OR satellites and areas.
  • AUTOMATION: Possess a high level of knowledge and skill in working with pharmacy automation technologies, including RobotRx and packaging operations.
  • MEDICATION RECONCILIATION: Interview patients and appropriate caregivers to obtain admission medication information and accurately enter it into the electronic chart for review by a pharmacist. Coordinate with health care professionals to facilitate any medication changes made throughout the hospital stay and ensure the filling of prescriptions for patients upon discharge. This may include transportation of the physical prescription and coordination of payment from the patient to the outpatient pharmacy. 
  • DECENTRAL PARTICIPATION: Engage in decentralized technician activities including automation management, cassette exchange, and expiration return, and demonstrate customer service during all interactions with nurses to facilitate the drug distribution process. Monitor pharmacy activities including but not limited to turn around time, stockouts, missing doses, central drop, and AcuDose footprints.
  • MEDICATION ACCESS AND ADHERENCE: assist patients and health care providers with financial coordination using programs such as: copay assistance, pharmaceutical manufacturer assistance programs, foundation assistance and UPMC program. Promote quality and patient health through enrollment and management of adherence programs such as refill coordination and medication synchronization.
  • PRIOR AUTHORIZATION PROCESSING: possess a high level of knowledge regarding insurance prior authorization process including communication with patient and health care providers, understanding of documentation needed from medical records and pharmacy benefit management websites, ability to complete needed paperwork and assist in the follow-up with the approval process.
  • QUALITY IMPROVEMENT: participation in an active role as a lead contributor/developer in department and collaborative quality improvement, assist in data collection, program implementation and reporting of results.,
  • ADJUDICATION/BILLING: Consistently exhibit the following actions; submission of prescription information to correct insurance processor, troubleshoot and resolve rejected claims, reliably coordinate multiple benefit payers, including Medicare obtaining all necessary paperwork including assignment of benefit forms.

Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:

Maryland Pharmacy Tech License Required
Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)

UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran