Pharmacy Assistant

QUALIFICATIONS
- Pharmacy Assistant course from a recognized program
- Other combination of education and experience may be considered
- Province of Manitoba Class 5 Drivers License, or equivalent from province of residence, and access to a personal vehicle to provide service within the Prairie Mountain Health
- Demonstrated organizational skills and ability to work independently
- Demonstrated problem solving and decision making skills
- Demonstrated flexibility to facilitate changes in techniques and procedures in a changing environment
- Demonstrated knowledge and competence of skills and concepts related to the position
- Demonstrated communication skills
- Ability to respect and promote confidentiality
- Ability to perform the duties of the position on a regular basis
- Ability to respect and promote a culturally diverse population
- Ability to work effectively and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, clients and within interdisciplinary team

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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 medstations (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 and/or final 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 medstations as required.
- Selects medications from stock for refill and loads Pyxis medstations.
- Loads assigned medications, refills standard medications and unloads medications without orders at Pyxis medstations.
- Responds to stock out bulletins, stock critical low bulletins, picks medication and refills the medication at Pyxis medstations.
- 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 medstations.
- 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 sup