Qualifications
- Pharmacy Assistant course from a recognized program
- Other combination of education and experience may be considered
- Evidence of ability to pass and maintain pharmacy technician or pharmacy assistant verification validation
- Province of Manitoba Class 5 Drivers License, and access to a personal vehicle to provide service within the Prairie Mountain Health
- Proficiency with Microsoft programs (Outlook, Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint), as well as Internet applications and other Information Technology
- Demonstrated leadership
- Demonstrated written and oral communication skills
- Ability to prioritize in a changing environment
- Strong organizational, decision making and problem solving skills
- Ability to display independent judgment
- Ability to respect and promote a culturally diverse population
- Ability to respect and promote confidentiality
- Ability to perform the duties of the position on a regular basis
Position Summary
The Pharmacy Assistant shall be accountable to the location manager and is responsible for performing the technical functions necessary for the general day-to-day operation of the department; replenishing Pyxis med stations (where applicable), filling prescriptions, checking prepared medications for accuracy, entering patient information, running reports, maintaining records, sterile and non-sterile compounding, providing technical assistance in stock-flow control, training new pharmacy staff and performing other related duties as assigned.
Responsibilities
Overview:
General
- Enters patient information into the applicable computer system for profile updates, label generation and charging purposes. Examples of information entered are: inpatient and outpatient refills, chemotherapy orders and leave of absence orders.
- Generates patient specific reports (i.e. labels, profiles)
- Generates and reviews selected non-patient specific reports (i.e. outpatient, inventory, statistical, narcotic, Pyxis). Reviews and adjusts reports and follows up with Pharmacist when necessary
- Sorts and processes medications returned to pharmacy (i.e. return bin). Records, credits and returns medication to the stock location or discards medication
- Assembles, files and maintains departmental records (i.e. prescriptions, patient profiles)
- Performs intermediate checks on prepared medications for accuracy as per departmental procedure (i.e. strip packaged medications)
- Directs inquiries from phone calls and visitors as applicable
- Performs inspections of medication storage areas in pharmacy and on the nursing units for appropriate storage, cleanliness and expiry dates
- Trains new pharmacy Assistants
- Delivers medications to appropriate nursing units
- Accumulates data and maintains records for departmental statistics (i.e. workload)
- Handles cytotoxic and biological products
- Orders stationary supplies
- Monitors expiry of medications
Inpatient Dispensing
- Fills prescriptions by selecting the medication, placing it into an appropriate container and affixing the label to the container
- Performs extemporaneous compounding as required and maintains manufacturing records
- Prepares medications for delivery or shipping as required
- Stores and maintains records of patients’ medications from home
- Counts and records quantity of narcotics on hand
- Fills stock medication requisitions
- Assists the Pharmacist in dispensing prescriptions
- Issues and delivers controlled drugs and maintains records to non-Pyxis areas. Participates in inventory reconciliation
PYXIS (where applicable)
- Runs Pyxis reports daily at the Pyxis console and assigns new patient specific medications to Pyxis med stations as required
- Selects medications from stock for refill and loads Pyxis med stations
- Loads assigned medications, refills standard medications and unloads medications without orders at Pyxis med stations
- Responds to stock out bulletins, stock critical low bulletins, picks medication and refills the medication at Pyxis med stations
- Checks and replenishes ward stock at each nursing unit
- Maintains adequate supply of strip packaged medications for ward replenishment
- Assists in maintaining appropriate medications and inventory in the Pyxis med stations
- Empties Pyxis and non-Pyxis return bins and returns inventory
- Checks expiry dates, inspects drug storage areas, maintains ward stock lists and organizes and labels cupboards
Sterile Services
- Assembles medications and supplies required for patient specific and bulk sterile compounding
- Assists in the preparation of sterile products, using aseptic technique, in the Horizontal Laminar Flow Hood, and Biological Safety Cabinets.
- Performs batch and patient specific sterile compounding (i.e. adult Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), pediatric TPN, large and small volume parenterals, chemotherapy, epidurals)
- Prepares sterile compounds
- Stocks sterile room with supplies
Inventory
- Maintains adequate inventory levels
- Receives and verifies incoming drug shipments
- Reconciles invoices and credits
- Orders non-stock supplies
- Fills order request from non-contract purchasers
- Maintains pertinent inventory records
- Processes month-end and year-end
- Sends expired goods to vendors for credit
- Reconciles inventory issues
Database Management
- Enters medication and financial information into the Pyxis, BDM and Logibec databases
- Monitors and tests pharmacy interface systems
- Reviews, updates and maintains the formulary in response to the Pharmacy and Therapeutics recommendations upon Regional Medical Advisory Committee (RMAC) approval
- Analyzes system reports and staff feedback to determine inventory levels
- Oversees the building of Pyxis med stations
- Resolves system issues
Secondary Hospital Site & Remote Locations
- Fills and sends orders to facilities
- Receives expired stock from contract facilities, sorts and catalogues the stock according to manufacturer/wholesaler then records which facility the stock belongs to and ships expired goods to the appropriate vendor
- Divides credit invoice amounts and provides an itemized list along with a credit total to each facility
- Prepares and updates ward stock sheet lists
- Heat seals (blister packs) controlled drug stock for use at the facilities
- Checks controlled drug sheets for error/omissions and makes arrangements to have them completed/corrected. Files and stores sheets as required by the College of Pharmacists
- Checks expiry dates of products
- Other duties as assigned
