Pharmacy Technician

Supporting Community Healthcare is a rewarding role. LifeLong Medical Care is looking for a Pharmacy Technician to work at our East Oakland Health Center. The Pharmacy Technician works with licensed clinicians and clinic support staff to direct patients to appropriate resources for medications. Assists providers to expedite prescription refills, assists with pharmacy information requests, manages in-clinic dispensing, and is responsible for ordering, receiving, and managing medications for the clinic dispensary.

Valid California Pharmacy Technician certification required. This is a full time, 40 hrs/wk, benefit eligible position.

This position is represented by SEIU-UHW. Salaries and benefits are set by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), and an employee in this position must remain a member in good standing of SEIU-UHW, as defined in the CBA.

LifeLong Medical Care is a large, multi-site, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) with a rich history of providing innovative healthcare and social services to a wonderfully diverse patient community. Our patient-centered health home is a dynamic place to work, practice, and grow. We have over 15 primary care health centers and deliver integrated services including psychosocial, referrals, chronic disease management, dental, health education, home visits, and much, much more. LifeLong Medical Care is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, and bilingual and bicultural individuals and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical condition.

Benefits

Compensation: $21/hour for non-licensed & $23 - $24.96/hour for licensed. We offer excellent benefits including: medical, dental, vision (including dependent and domestic partner coverage), generous leave benefits including ten paid holidays, Flexible Spending Accounts, 403(b) retirement savings plan.

COVID-19 Vaccine Policy

In accordance with LifeLong Medical Care's commitment to provide and maintain a workplace that is free of known hazards, we have adopted a Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine Policy to safeguard the health of our employees and their families; our patients and visitors; and the community at large from infectious diseases, that vaccinations may reduce. This policy will comply with all applicable laws and is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Order of the California State Public Health Officer. Unless a reasonable medical or religious accommodation is approved, all employees must receive COVID-19 vaccinations.

Essential Functions - (Highest time requirements)

General

Provides LifeLong patients with medication resource support, information, and management.
• Helps patients determine the most appropriate sources for their prescription medications and referring patients to appropriate programs and resources- discount pharmacies, Patient Assistance Programs, Dispensary, or Lifelong contract pharmacies.
• Assist providers with prescribing, including formulary expertise and Prior Authorization technical assistance.
• Acts as internal technical expert regarding medication management and purchasing.
• Provides clinic-level 340B compliance and expertise.
• Maintains clinic drug management processes and records in accordance with CA Board of Pharmacy regulations, DEA, and FDA requirements.
• Helps manage clinic medication expenditures.
• Assists with regulatory audits

Manages Refill requests

• Reviews incoming patient meds refill requests and makes recommendations regarding required patient care and refills based on written protocols.
• Refers refill requests to providers or RNs according to protocols.

Medication Access Support:

• Assists Health PAC/FSFS/Medicare and uninsured patients including donut hole and patients whose meds are not covered despite other coverage to access Medication Programs:.
• Works with uninsured patients to determine the most appropriate sources for their prescription medications and referring patients to appropriate programs and resources-Patient Assistance Programs, discount pharmacies, Dispensary, or Lifelong contract pharmacy. This activity is for all patients, insured or uninsured.
• Determines Lifelong Health PAC formulary medications to be dispensed directly to patient from clinic by analyzing provider prescribing patterns
• Verifies eligibility for medication programs and updates/maintaining pharmacy data base with Lifelong contract pharmacies
• Works with providers to ensure adherence to Lifelong Health PAC formulary

Resolves pharmacy eligibility and medication issues:

• Assists patients, providers, and nursing staff in researching and resolving non-refill related -pharmacy issues, such as insurance issues, claims processing, adjudication, and formulary coverage.
• Interfaces with community pharmacies

Dispensary Management

• Assists Providers with dispensing and RNs with refills
• Keeps appropriate on hand supplies of all medications
  • Ordering and receiving dispensary medications from multiple sources
  • Managing samples
  • Ordering and maintaining Direct Relief and other donated meds
• Tracking all categories of medications-purchased 340B meds, DAP, Samples, Direct Relief and other donated meds
• Reports monthly of utilization, inventory, and expenditures
• Completes monthly dispensary inventories and annual end of fiscal year drug inventories
• Disposes of expired/outdated medications according to state and federal requirements
• Environmental maintenance- refrigerator, room, software

Prior Authorizations (Provides technical expertise for Pas)

• Researches patient prescription plan and demographic information
• Researches prescription plan formulary alternatives (formulary lookups and alternative resources)
• Initiates paperwork and forwarding to prescriber for consideration
• Documents and tracks completed Prior Authorization request forms, approvals or denials of requests via EHR
• Contacts insurance/pharmacy and/or patient for any necessary follow-up
• Transfers Medicare Part D prior authorizations each insurance plan year

Drug Assistance Programs:

• Assists patients with DAP program applications and meds
• Initiating DAP applications
• Receiving medications
• Tracking patient eligibility
• Ordering refills for existing DAP patients
• Serve as patient advocate to Patient Assistance Program
• Maintains records in accordance with CA Board of Pharmacy regulations and other regulatory entities
• Monthly reporting of financial savings to clinic

Drug recalls:

• Monitors dispensary and clinic stock meds inventory for drug recalls, completing required activities and paperwork
• Serve as patient advocate to Patient Assistance Programs
• Maintains records in accordance with CA Board of Pharmacy regulations and other regulatory entities
• Monthly reporting of financial savings to clinic

Drug Rep liaison:

• Point of contact for pharmaceutical sales reps
• Schedules presentations, events, and distributes information and pertinent communications to providers
• Receives, stores, and helps dispense medication samples

Manage Secure Rx paper/pads/labels: (varies by clinic)

• Orders, receives and stores secure Rx paper/pads
• Distributes secure Rx pads to providers and tracks provider usage
• Maintains documentation including signature log books and documents use or destruction of secure Rx paper/pads

Coordinates Medicare Part D program outreach and assistance (all clinics)

• Assist patients in comparing Medicare Part D prescription plans and assisting patients in enrollment process.
• Coordinate with University of Pacific, University of California San Francisco, and Touro University College of Pharmacy preceptors and student coordinators dates, times, and location of Open Enrollment outreach events.

• Manages Lifelong staff and volunteer availability
• Reserve facilities, maintenance, and set-up and cleaning
• Initiate outreach calls, mailings, flyers, and other documentation, marketing, and promotional activities
• Assist patients in comparing and enrolling in Medicare Part D plans
• Check-in patients attending outreach events and assigning either Pharmacy student group or Lifelong staff volunteer to patient during event
• Follow up on any issues that were not able to be resolved during outreach visit

• Commitment to the provision of primary care services for the underserved with demonstrated ability and sensitivity in working with a variety of people from low-income populations, with diverse educational, lifestyle, ethnic and cultural origins.
• Strong organizational, administrative, multi-tasking, prioritization and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work successfully in a LifeLong team-oriented environment with a number of professionals with different work styles and support needs.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written skills both within and outside of LifeLong Medical Care.

Job Requirements

• High school diploma or GED.
• Minimum of six months experience in a fast-paced pharmacy setting.
• Valid California Pharmacy Technician certification.
• Knowledgeable in pharmacy terminology, protocols and procedures.
• Knowledge of program eligibility and insurance coverage issues.
• Proficient in Microsoft office Word, Excel, Outlook.

Job Preferences

• Bachelor's degree in related field preferred.
• Electronic Medical Records (EHR) or pharmacy software experience.