Advanced Pharmacy Technician, Registry

Be a part of a world-class academic healthcare system, Chicago Medicine, as a Advanced Pharmacy Technician, Registry in the Inpatient Pharmacy department. As an Advanced Pharmacy Technician, you will be supporting a team that is dedicated to enhancing lives and being on the forefront of all we do. This department is responsible for the provision of safe, accurate, and timely medication distribution and reliable pharmaceutical care to a variety of patient populations.

Job Summary 

In this role the Advanced Pharmacy Technician performs all operational dispensing duties including, but not limited to, controlled substances, investigational drugs, or pharmacy purchasing. These duties are performed in compliance with the departmental policies and procedures providing optimal pharmaceutical care to the patients at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics.

Essential Job Functions

• Assures safe, accurate, and timely pharmaceutical care and medication delivery. Identify customer (patient and healthcare provider) requirements that warrant pharmacist or management attention.

• Assists other pharmacy technicians as needed. Assists in training new employees in their area of work. Mentors’ new employees as requested and assists pharmacists in entering physician orders into the computer system as needed.

• Prepares and delivers investigational drugs, controlled substances (including insulin products) and drugs utilized in the OR. Maintains Omnicell medication stock in the sterile corridor of the OR.

• Maintains controlled substance inventories. Stocks and restocks controlled substances in the central and IV room pharmacies and in the patient care unit Omnicell automated dispensing cabinets. Returns controlled substances to inventory as needed and removes outdated controlled substances under the direction of the supervisor.

• Supports all pharmacy operations and distributive systems as needed to provide optimal pharmacy care to patients. Leads the process to effectively maintain the pharmacy distributive systems, operational projects, and technician responsibilities. Maintains pharmacy distributive systems and operations, including all equipment and technology. Actively review automation, equipment, and technology within responsible areas for appropriate work performance, accuracy, and reliability. Implement appropriate downtime procedures when needed including communication with appropriate external vendors. Identify opportunities for efficiency and cost-effective improvements in pharmacy operations and distributive systems.

• Prepares inventories, orders drugs and supplies from wholesaler, checks in drugs that are received and rectifies what is received with the invoice. Maintains Macro Helix for aggregation of 340B, GPO and WAC purchases. 

• Prepares IV additives utilizing robotic IV preparation systems.

• Answers phone calls in a courteous manner according to policy. Triages phone communication appropriately and according to policy. Performs monthly nursing unit inspections, maintains workload records if required and collects quality assurance data. Performs other patients and/or drug related duties within the legal scope of their licensure, as assigned by the pharmacist and/or the supervisor.

• Performs other duties assigned including Technician I and Technician II work as needed.

Required Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent (GED) required. Bachelor’s or other advanced degree preferred.

• Valid Illinois pharmacy technician license. Certified Pharmacy Technician License (National Certification)

• Experience and training as defined by one of the following qualifications:

  • Minimum of at least 5 years’ experience as an inpatient hospital pharmacy technician OR 

  • Graduation from an ASHP accredited Pharmacy Technician Program, with at least 2 years of experience as an inpatient hospital pharmacy technician OR

  • Minimum of at least one year experience as an inpatient hospital pharmacy technician at UCMC, with above average scores on all UCMC employee evaluations, and no disciplinary actions in the last 12 months (except time & attendance)

• Knowledge and proficiency with hospital operations and pharmacy practices and procedures, medications and medical supplies, hospital practice and healthcare regulatory requirements, and record keeping. 

• Computer entry skills and ability to accurately type at 35 WPM.

• Excellent communication skills, ability to work independently with attention to detail, perform mathematical computations, and overseeing the work of others, and interact effectively with others.

• Sterile Compounding and/or cleaning experience

Position Details 

• Job Type/FTE: Registry (.2)

• Shift: Evening

• Unit/Department: Inpatient Pharmacy

• CBA Code: Non-Union

In this role, we anticipate that you will generally work approximately 4 hours per week, or 8 hours every other week for a total of 16 hours per month.  We anticipate that you will generally be scheduled to work the evening (PM) shift and will not be scheduled for on-call shifts.  We anticipate you will be scheduled to work 100% at the Hyde Park campus. This is primarily an evening (PM) registry position, with scheduled shifts occurring Monday through Friday and an every-other-weekend requirement.