About the position
The Pharmacy Assistant position at Kaiser Permanente involves working under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist to provide essential pharmacy services. This role includes both in-person and telephone reception duties, where the assistant will interact with patients to receive and direct new and refill prescriptions for further processing. The Pharmacy Assistant is responsible for producing computerized or typed prescription labels, packaging and selling filled prescriptions, and assisting pharmacy personnel with various clerical functions. The position requires adherence to Kaiser Permanente's policies and procedures, as well as compliance with applicable state, federal, and local laws. In this role, the Pharmacy Assistant will be tasked with ensuring the correct entry and documentation of prescription information, identifying prescriptions that require refill authorization, and verifying that all necessary details are present on the prescription. This includes checking for drug name, strength, directions for use, quantity, special instructions, and refill information. The assistant will also recognize opportunities for generic or therapeutic substitutions and alert pharmacists when prescriptions require further action or when there are notes in the allergy and comment fields in the Pharmacy Information Management System (PIMS). The position also involves processing prescription refill authorization requests, organizing and maintaining packaged prescriptions for efficient retrieval, and preparing prescriptions for delivery by mail or UPS when requested. The Pharmacy Assistant will sell prescriptions and other pharmaceutical merchandise, ensuring correct patient identification through various means, including matching call slips against claim checks and checking health plan cards. Additionally, the assistant will be responsible for recording all transactions, maintaining the security of the cash register, and preparing daily cash register summaries and bank deposits. The role may also include inventory control responsibilities, such as ordering and receiving pharmaceutical merchandise, affixing price labels, and restocking shelves. The Pharmacy Assistant is expected to maintain a clean and organized work area, exemplifying the pharmacy's mission and the organization's vision by contributing to member satisfaction through the provision of appropriate medications and professional services. Other duties may be assigned as required.
Responsibilities
- Provide in-person and telephone reception to patients according to established service standards.
- Receive new prescriptions and refills, ensuring correct entry and documentation of information.
- Identify prescriptions needing refill authorization and refer to providers.
- Verify prescription details including drug name, strength, directions for use, quantity, and special instructions.
- Recognize potential for generic or therapeutic substitution and alert pharmacists when information is lacking.
- Enter required prescription and patient information into the pharmacy computer system (PIMS).
- Process prescription refill authorization requests and enter responses from providers into PIMS.
- Organize and maintain packaged prescriptions for efficient retrieval.
- Prepare prescriptions for delivery by mail or UPS when requested.
- Sell prescriptions and verify correct patient identification through various means.
- Record all transactions and maintain the security of the cash register drawer contents.
- Prepare and reconcile daily cash register summary documents and bank deposits.
- Perform duties of the Inventory Control Assistant as needed, including ordering and receiving pharmaceutical merchandise.
- Make recommendations for operational improvements to enhance services provided by the department.
- Maintain a clean and organized work area and equipment.
Requirements
- Excellent customer service and telephone reception skills.
- Excellent written and verbal English-speaking communication skills.
- Ability to read, understand, and transcribe pharmaceutical information.
- Demonstrated mathematical skills (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).
- Ability to stand for long periods and communicate effectively with co-workers and patients.
- Ability to lift/transport 1-50 lbs and perform light to moderate carrying, pulling, pushing, walking, and frequent bending, stooping, and reaching.
