Registered Pharmacy Technician - Signing Bonus

Click here to apply as an internal applicant.

Company :  IWK Health

Req ID : 192202

Department / Program :   Pharmacy Distribution 50% / Medication Reconciliation 50%

Location :  Halifax

Type of Employment : Permanent   Hourly FT ( 100%  FTE)   x 4  position(s)

Start Date : ASAP

Union Status :   NSGEU Hlthcare , Healthcare Bargaining Unit

Compensation : $ 26.9722 - $ 29.9817   / hour

Closing Date : December 15, 2024 (Applications are accepted until 23 : 59 Atlantic Time)

Successful applicants will be eligible to receive a one-time Signing Bonus of $5,000. In turn, a Return of Service will be required for an (18) eighteen-month period.

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia . People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values , and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black / African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants / Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

The Opportunity

The Pharmacy Technician will work in collaboration with pharmacists and pharmacy practice assistants to ensure safe medication preparation and dispensing for all medications prepared and delivered by the pharmacy department. The Pharmacy Technician will be responsible for the technical check of prepared medications (unit dose, non-sterile and sterile compounds, exception : parenteral chemotherapy medications) prior to distribution to the patient care units, taking telephone medication order clarifications from physicians, narcotic destruction as mandated by Health Canada, precept pharmacy technician students who are pursuing their diploma and licensure, administer medications by injection (permit required) and provide technical education on the use of medication related devices. The pharmacy technician will also conduct best possible medication histories (BPMH within Children’s and Women’s Health surgical.

Finally, pharmacy technicians must follow all federal and provincial legislation and pharmacy professional practice standards (ie : NAPRA sterile and non-sterile compounding) pertaining to the preparation and distribution of prescription and non-prescription medications and are professionally accountable and responsible for their activities.

Hours of Work

0700-1500, 0800-1600, 1300-2100. Days, evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call on rotation. 75 hours bi-weekly.

Your Qualifications

• An accredited, by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programs (CCAPP), pharmacy technician training program; OR : An accredited (CCAPP) degree program in pharmacy, OR currently enrolled in a bridging program
• Licensure as a Registered Pharmacy Technician with the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacist; plus; Annual maintenance of professional malpractice insurance per the NSCP guideline, OR eligible to be licensed
• Ethical, Legal and Professional – practice within the legal requirements, demonstration professionalism and uphold professional standards of practice, code of ethics and policies
• Patient Care – participate in meeting the patient’s health and medication-related needs, through collaborations with the patient, the pharmacist and other health professionals, to achieve the patient’s health goals
• Product Distribution – implement safe and effective product distribution to ensure the safety and accuracy of released products
• Practice setting – contribute to the management of the drug distribution system with the goal of ensuring safe, effective and efficient drug distribution
• Quality and safety – collaborate in developing, implementing and evaluating policies, procedures and activities that promote quality and safety
• Knowledge and demonstration of NAPRA Model Standards of Practice for Pharmacy Technicians
• Ability to perform final technical check of prepared medications and identify and notify preparer when product was prepared incorrectly in a respectful manner
• Knowledge using centralized and decentralized pharmacy automation / technology, including but not limited to inventory carousel, automated dispensing cabinets, anesthesia medication dispensing systems, unit dose packager, hospital pharmacy information system, gravimetric sterile compound preparation systems, laminar flow hoods
• Knowledge of generic / chemical names of medications available on the Canadian market
• Proficiency in sterile and non-sterile compounding for hazardous and non-hazardous compounds
• Knowledge and application of federal Controlled Drugs & Substances Act, Food & Drugs Act and Schedules
• Perform medication calculations accurately each time required
• Demonstrated ability to communicate (verbal and written) effectively with patients, physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other allied health professionals
• Commitment to continuous learning
• Demonstrated ability to work in a face paced environment with distractions

For those who have not yet obtained their Registration / Certification. An Opportunity may be available to complete the Eastern College Registered Pharmacy Technician Bridging Program funded by the IWK in exchange for a return of service. Candidates will be placed on the Pharmacy Practice Assistant pay scale until demonstration of successful licensure with the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists as a Pharmacy Technician

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview / testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Healthcare   bargaining  unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and / or usage, prior to accepting the position.

An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.

I f you are an employee of IWK Health , please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.