Pharmacy Technician II

Pay Range:

Pay Range:$27.81 - $38.62 Provides technical support to the pharmacists and the Department of Pharmacy Services and provides confidential and frontline support to customers at the pharmacy window and waiting rooms.

SEARHC is a non-profit health consortium which serves the health interests of the residents of Southeast Alaska. We see our employees as our strongest assets. It is our priority to further their development and our organization by aiding in their professional advancement.

Working at SEARHC is more than a job, it’s a fulfilling career. We offer generous benefits, including retirement, paid time off, paid parental leave, health insurance, dental, and vision benefits, life insurance and long and short-term disability, and more.

Key Essential Functions and Accountabilities of the Job

• Supports the pharmacist

  • Retrieves medications from shelf of dispensing robot (if available), counts medications, and labels containers under the supervision of the pharmacist. 

  • Cleans and refills the dispensing robot and counting devices daily and as needed. 

  • Orders and replaces stock in the pharmacy

  • Retrieves and interprets medication orders; performs pharmaceutical calculations; enters orders into pharmacy computer system for pharmacist’s review. 

  • Labels, fills, and delivers medication to appropriate patient care locations.

  • Demonstrates ability to perform medication adjudication, including contacting/resolving medication-related pharmacy billing rejections.

• Maintains equipment and performs required recordkeeping

  • Conducts inventory, orders, receives and stocks drugs and supplies

  • Performs restocks and cleans the IV Hood before and after compounding, cleans the entire IV room daily and performs other scheduled cleanings.

  • Maintains log of hood pressures and notify maintenance of insufficient air flow.

  • Refills the emergency room and unit-based dispensing machines and files proper paperwork.

  • Fills out appropriate paperwork when preparing and delivering controlled substances. 

  • Receives and triages information requests; researches and provides information where appropriate, referring other inquiries to the pharmacist. 

  • Retrieves expired, recalled or discontinued medications from stock and patient areas; discards or returns to stock as appropriate; completes corresponding documentation

  • Assists in documentation of unit-specific procedures and quality assurance activities under Pharmacist review.

• Assists customers

  • Answers telephone and takes requests for prescription refills from patients. Contacts patient’s providers when prescription has no refills.

  • Communicates with patients at the pharmacy window and directs traffic within the pharmacy and waiting room. 

  • Triages patient questions: answers questions when appropriate, refers other requests to a pharmacist. 

  • Gives patients a courtesy call at 10 days, then returns prescriptions to stock when they are not picked up by patients within two weeks; processing prescriptions through software to reverse billing. 

  • Dispenses prepared refill prescriptions under the supervision of the pharmacist.

Other Functions

• Checks crash carts for used, outdated, or recalled drugs and replenishes them as needed. 

• Keeps pharmacy areas clean, neat, and well organized. 

• Monitors refrigerator temperatures in all refrigerators used to store medication in the pharmacy

• Other duties as assigned

Education, Certifications, and Licenses Required

• Valid pharmacy technician license in the State of Alaska

• Pharmacy Technician National Certification

• Clinical Competency required within 3 months of hire and subsequently every three years

• High Risk Competency required within 3 months of hire and subsequently every three years

Experience Required

• Five years Hospital pharmacy, ambulatory clinic pharmacy, or retail pharmacy experience

Knowledge of

• Drug names and strengths, generic equivalents, pharmaceutical and medical terminology and pharmacy law

• Computer systems as well as knowledge of operation and capabilities of all automated equipment within the pharmacy as well as those in satellite areas

Skills in

• Sterile compounding skills

• Hazardous drug handling

• Basic math skills required to calculate dosage

Ability to

• Triage questions and understand what type of questions should be referred to a pharmacist and what can be answered by a technician.

• Mentor, train and assist coworkers

• Learn and teach automated pharmacy equipment

• Communicate with patients’ verbally in person and on the phone

• Multitask with constant interruptions and adapt to changes in workload and work schedule

• Work cooperatively with all health-system and pharmacy staff and deal with difficult people

• Set priorities, solve problems, and respond quickly in emergencies

Computer Skills

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Products including Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Physical Demands

• The employee may frequently lift and/or push/pull up to 30 lbs.

Required Certifications:

Clinical Competency Assessment - SEARHC, High Risk Competency - SEARHC, Pharmacy Technician License - State of Alaska - Alaska State Board of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Technician National Certification - Pharmacy Technician Certification Board

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!