This is routine pharmaceutical work providing assistance to pharmacists in dispensing drugs and medications prescribed by medical practitioners and repackaging bulk medication for distribution to various medical facilities. Employees in this class receive prescriptions from health center patients, package medications into prescribed quantities, and repackage bulk medications for use by disease control programs. Contact with health center patients is a significant aspect of the work. Work is performed under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.

ALLOCATING FACTORS: (The following conditions must be met for a position in this class to be approved.)

• The positions must assist registered pharmacists in dispensing drugs and medications prescribed by medical practitioners and/or repackage bulk medications for distribution to various medical facilities.
• The positions must perform the work in the Health Department.

BILINGUAL

• Performs the duties shown below with members of the English language speaking and designated non-English language speaking populations.

GENERAL

• Assists pharmacists in dispensing medications; receives original and refill prescriptions from patients; retrieves bottles from bins in pre-packaged form if available; manually counts tablets and capsules, and bottles medication if necessary; reconstitutes liquid medications.
• Dispenses drugs to tuberculosis patients under the direction of a pharmacist; requests and verifies current validity of patient's prescription plan; instructs patients to have physicians complete forms required to order medications not on formulary; assists pharmaceutical superior in maintaining information necessary for billing; performs additional record keeping functions required for operations of the pharmacy under the direction of the pharmacist.
• Pre-packs medications for health center clinics; ensures that night clinic cart is stocked.
• Receives drug orders from district health centers, disease control program staff and other departmental divisions as required; repackages bulk medications into smaller quantities; counts tablets and capsules using a pill counting machine; places medication into bottles; prepares labels for bottles using a label stencil machine; affixes labels to bottles; maintains a log of all repackaged drugs; packs drugs in boxes or bags and indicates contents; notifies medical facilities when orders are ready for pick-up; maintains records of drug orders received and distributed.
• Checks drugs on hand against quantity required; orders drugs from drug supplier, pharmacy storeroom and warehouse; checks deliveries for completeness; shelves drugs after delivery; rotates dated items; sorts outdated merchandise for disposal or return to pharmacy storeroom.
• Answers telephone; responds to routine patient inquiries.
• Performs related work as required.

ABILITY TO:

• assist in the preparation of pharmaceuticals.
• learn the generic and brand names of medications on the pharmacy formulary.
• maintain complete and accurate records.
• learn to use the necessary equipment for counting and labeling medication.
• learn pharmacy drug and supply ordering procedures.
• measure medication amounts using the metric system.
• perform simple mathematical computations.
• learn to use a computer terminal to retrieve information.
• understand and follow written and oral instructions.
• exercise courtesy and tact when dealing with the public.
• speak, read and write in a specified non-English language and in English fluently for the Bilingual specialty.

EDUCATION:

• Education equivalent to completion of the twelfth school grade.

AND

EXPERIENCE:

• Two years of clerical experience in a health care environment.

Or any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE BILINGUAL SPECIALTY

• Sufficient training and/or experience to be able to understand and speak fluently and clearly in English and the designated non-English language.