Pharmacy Technician Intern - MyMichigan Health

Summary:

The Pharmacy Technician Trainee is an entry-level position. This temporary position is a training program to achieve educational experience with the final result of passing the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam to become a Licensed Certified Pharmacy Technician in the state of Michigan. The trainee will be eligible to advance to a Licensed Pharmacy Technician upon full licensure with the State of Michigan Board of Pharmacy and may apply to open positions within the health system. The Pharmacy Technician Trainee will receive education to learn how to decipher orders on the computer, compound IVs, charge and credit, fill orders, answer phones and doors, and stock the department upon licensure.  The training program and materials will be provided, however, the trainee is responsible for the cost of the certification exam and licensure.

Responsibilities:

Pharmacy Technician Trainee:

1.    Will complete the Pharmacy Tech Prep Online Employer-based Training Program within 3-4 months training period.

a.    Medications (40%)

·   Generic names, brand names, and classifications of medications

·   Therapeutic equivalence

·   Common and life-threatening drug interactions and contraindications (e.g., drug-disease, drug-drug, drug-dietary supplement, drug-laboratory, drug-nutrient)

·   Strengths/dose, dosage forms, routes of administration, special handling and administration instructions, and duration of drug therapy

·   Common and severe medication side effects, adverse effects, and allergies

·   Indications of medications and dietary supplements

·   Drug stability (e.g., oral suspensions, insulin, reconstitutables, injectables, vaccinations)

·   Narrow therapeutic index (NTI) medications

·   Physical and chemical incompatibilities related to non-sterile compounding and reconstitution

·   Proper storage of medications (e.g., temperature ranges, light sensitivity, restricted access)

 

b.    Patient Safety and Quality Assurance (30%)

·   High-alert/risk medications and look-alike/sound-alike [LASA] medications

·   Error prevention strategies (e.g., prescription or medication order to correct patient, Tall Man lettering, separating inventory, leading and trailing zeros, bar code usage, limit use of error-prone abbreviations)

·   Issues that require pharmacist intervention (e.g., drug utilization review [DUR], adverse drug event [ADE], OTC recommendation, therapeutic substitution, misuse, adherence, post-immunization follow-up, allergies, drug interactions)

·   Event reporting procedures (e.g., medication errors, adverse effects, and product integrity, MedWatch, near miss, root-cause analysis [RCA])

·   Types of prescription errors (e.g., abnormal doses, early refill, incorrect quantity, incorrect patient, incorrect drug)

·   Hygiene and cleaning standards (e.g., handwashing, personal protective equipment [PPE], cleaning counting trays, countertop, and equipment)

 

c.    Order Entry and Processing (20%)

·   Procedures to compound non-sterile products (e.g., ointments, mixtures, liquids, emulsions, suppositories, enemas)

·   Formulas, calculations, ratios, proportions, allegations, conversions, Sig codes (e.g., b.i.d., t.i.d., Roman numerals), abbreviations, medical terminology, and symbols for day’s supply, quantity, dose, concentration, dilutions

·   Equipment/supplies required for drug administration (e.g., package size, unit dose, diabetic supplies, spacers, oral and injectable syringes)

·   Lot numbers, expiration dates, and National Drug Code (NDC) numbers

·   Procedures for identifying and returning dispensable, non-dispensable, and expired medications and supplies (e.g., credit return, return to stock, reverse distribution)

 

d.    Federal Requirements (10%)

·   Federal requirements for handling and disposal of non-hazardous, hazardous, and pharmaceutical substances and waste

·   Federal requirements for controlled substance prescriptions (i.e., new, refill, transfer) and DEA controlled substance schedules

·   Federal requirements (e.g., DEA, FDA) for controlled substances (i.e., receiving, storing, ordering, labeling, dispensing, reverse distribution, take-back programs, and loss or theft of)

·   Federal requirements for restricted drug programs and related medication processing (e.g., pseudoephedrine, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies [REMS])

·   FDA recall requirements (e.g., medications, devices, supplies, supplements, classifications)

 

2.    Will log 500-1000 hours of experiential training in the pharmacy.

 

3.    Required to register and pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam within 6 months of hire.

 

4.    Required to obtain the Pharmacy Technician License and fulfill the Pharmacy Technician requirements of the Michigan State Board of Pharmacy.

 

Other duties as assigned.

 

Certifications and Licensures:

• PHARM TECH - Pharmacy Technician Licensure
  • Required Equivalent Experience - New hires and transfers must apply for a temporary technician license through the State of Michigan or show proof that they have applied within 6 months. They must complete the Pharmacy Tech Prep Online Employer-based Training Program within the 3-4 month training period and take the Pharmacy Technician Certificate Exam by their 6 month anniversary date in this position.

Required Education:

High School Diploma or GED

Other Information:

• Computer experience required.
• Good math skills (pass a standard test), good organizational skills, a team player and ability to work under high pressure and time constraints are all required.
• Interpersonal skills needed to communicate successfully with individuals and groups and interact with people at all levels to communicate ideas and concepts in a clear and understandable manner.
• MyMichigan Health is a technology driven organization and employees need to demonstrate competency in Microsoft® Windows. An employee may be required to participate in further learning opportunities offered by MyMichigan Health.
• Medical Terminology knowledge preferred.
• Medical Center or Retail Pharmacy experience preferred.