Pharmacy Technician I/II-Sterile Compounding (Full-Time)

At Duke Health, we're driven by a commitment to compassionate care that changes the lives of patients, their loved ones, and the greater community. No matter where your talents lie, join us and discover how we can advance health together.

About Duke HomeCare & Hospice

Pursue your passion for caring with Duke HomeCare & Hospice, which offers hospice, home health, and infusion services across the region, as well as serves as the home forthe Duke Caregiver Support Program. Team members work closely with a patient's physician to provide comprehensive, individualized care in the comfort of their home or at our inpatient hospice facility in Durham, NC.

Working hours: 

• Monday - Friday (40 hours)

  • 8:00am - 6:30pm or 10:00am-6:30pm

General Description of the Job Class

• This individual performs, under supervision, a variety of duties in accordance to department procedures, which may be related to the procurement, preparation, distribution and storage of drugs, as well as, provision of clinical pharmacy services according to the Pharmacy's role in ensuring safe medication use.

• Individuals eligible for pharmacy technician level II are competent in all tasks associated with pharmacy technician level I and have achieved the area specific advanced competency requirements. Pharmacy technician level II staff must achieve and maintain certification by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or The Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT).

• The IV room compounding Pharmacy Technician II prepares and compounds sterile admixtures, including, but not limited to, parental nutrition, antibiotics, chemotherapy, hydration, and narcotic analgesics, as allowed by law and/or regulation, and in accordance with Duke Home Care and Hospice policies and procedures, using aseptic techniques while under the direct supervision of a pharmacist.

Duties and Responsibilities of this Level

1. Assists the Operations Pharmacist and IV Lead Technician in maximizing the efficiency and productivity of the pharmacy.

• Prioritizes filling of orders to facilitate timely delivery using color coded bins

• Facilitates order filling to assure prioritizing is followed

• Places bins in appropriate area for Pharmacist checking

• Informs Operations Pharmacist of “Stat” orders ready for checking

2. Pre-checks compounding materials prior to entry into the cleanroom.

3. Checks prescription labels and compounding documents for appropriate content.

   • Adheres to the prescription or medication order

   • Verifies strength, quality, and purity of compounded preparations

   • Ensures packaging, labeling, and dispensing consistent with applicable state agencies and boards of pharmacy laws and regulations

4. Calculates and verifies compounding instructions for each patient order.

5. Disinfects all IV room surfaces with appropriate cleaning solutions prior to, and following, compounding.

6. Consistently follows all gowning, gloving, and handwashing guidelines, policies, and regulations.

7. Assists the Pharmacist with the accurate compounding of intravenous medications according to the principles of strict aseptic technique in compliance with USP Chapter 797 and USP Chapter 800 guidelines.

8. Adheres to the prescription or medication order

9. Verifies strength, quality, and purity of compounded preparations

10. Ensures packaging, labeling, and dispensing consistent with applicable state agencies and boards of pharmacy laws and regulations.

11. Performs compounding of all cytotoxic drugs with the understanding of, and adherence to, USP Chapter 797, USP Chapter 800, and ASHP guidelines.

12. Batches medication preparation to minimize wastes and improve efficiency.

13. Checks final product for particulate matter and container integrity. 

14. Ensures TPN compounding and Repeater Pump equipment is tested and calibrated to ensure proper functionality.

15. Ensures the clean room suites and related equipment are cleaned and maintained per USP 797, USP 800,  and organizational policies and procedures.

16. Participates in the daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning duties of the pharmacy.

17. Enforces company policy cleanroom protocol, testing, documentation, and remedial action.

18. Records, when assigned, the daily temperatures of the refrigerator, walk-in refrigerator, incubator, and TPN room; and reports any deviations to the Operations Pharmacist or IV Lead Technician immediately.

19. Records, when assigned, the daily humidity from the TPN Main display and reports any deviations to the Operations Pharmacist or IV Lead Technician immediately.

20. Performs and records various quality control activities including Air Sampling, Glove Fingertip Testing, Surface Sampling and Sterility Testing. Reports all “positive results” to the Operations Pharmacist or IV Lead Technician immediately if requested.

21. Checks and changes, if needed, the pre-filters for the laminar flow hoods on a monthly basis.

22. Provides supply list to warehouse staff, in advance, with necessary levels of mixing room supplies.

23. Restocks all IV room areas and operation workroom on a daily basis and as needed.

24. Verifies stock received against invoice upon receipt of a drug order. Notifies the Operations Pharmacist or IV Lead Technician of any discrepancies prior to appropriately shelving medications.

25. Checks for expired/unusable medications, at least monthly and disposes of them properly.

26. Participates in the process for assessing, managing, and reporting medication related incidents and equipment errors and/or failures.

27. Assists other pharmacy technicians and/or pharmacy staff as necessary, including other areas of operation not specifically assigned.

28. Cooperates with team members to accomplish departmental goals.

29. Achieves a passing score on all initial and ongoing competencies/validation testing.

30. Understands and adheres to:

    • All applicable State, local and Federal laws and/or regulations

    • Company policies and procedures

    • Performance guidelines

    • External accreditation/review standards

    • Internal control standards established to guide the operation of the pharmacy

31. Attends regular staff meetings and disseminates departmental information to fellow technicians as appropriate.

32. Serves as a primary training resource for new technicians.

33. Precepts new technicians and validates all competencies are being followed.

34. Assists other technicians in performing complex procedures and / or calculations as required.

35. Demonstrates the ability to work effectively and maintain expected productivity.

36. Exhibits an attitude that promotes harmony and goodwill in the workplace.

37. Displays receptiveness to new ideas and views of others.

38. Observes legal and ethical guidelines for safeguarding the confidentiality of patient and proprietary information with the adherence to all applicable HIPPA regulations.

39. Displays a clean, neat and professional appearance as appropriate to perform all IV room duties.

40. Performs other duties as needed and / or assigned. 

41. Complies with accreditation, legal, regulatory, and safety requirements in all activities like inventory, order, receive and stock drugs and supplies.

42. Retrieve discontinued or expired medications from stock and patient areas

43. Assist in documentation of unit-specific procedures.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Pharmacy Tech I: High school diploma or equivalent and completion of an accredited pharmacy technician-training program. or Acceptance into pharmacy school. or High school diploma or equivalent.

• Pharmacy Tech II: High school diploma or equivalent and completion of an accredited pharmacy technician-training program. or Acceptance into pharmacy school. or High school diploma or equivalent and one year of pharmacy or health care related experience.

Experience

• Pharmacy Tech I: N/A

• Pharmacy Tech II: Minimum of one years related experience.

Degrees, Licensures, Certifications

• Pharmacy Tech I: Must be registered with the North Carolina Board of Pharmacy within the first 180 days.

• Pharmacy Tech II: North Carolina Board of Pharmacy registration is required. Pharmacy Technician certification is required from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or The Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT).

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.