Erie County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to workplace diversity.

Residence Requirements:

THERE ARE NO RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THIS EXAMINATION. There are 12 anticipated vacancies at the Erie County Medical Center Corporation. 

Examples of Duties:

A Pharmacy Technician assists licensed pharmacists in the dispensing and compounding of drugs in the Pharmacy Department at the Erie County Medical Center Corporation;

Assists a licensed Pharmacist in compounding, preparing and labelling drugs used to fill patient medication orders;

Retrieves prescription data from patient electronic medical record for verification of all information needed to fill a prescription by a licensed pharmacist prior to dispensing a prescription;

Retrieves drugs from stock and returns them to stock;

Prepares dosage units of drugs in appropriate containers to fill medication orders;

Attaches prescription labels to containers; Prepares manual records of dispensing for the signature or initials of the licensed pharmacist; Handles and delivers completed medications to person authorized to act on behalf of the patient;

Monitors medications and intravenous solutions for expiration dates and removes expired medications from all stock areas;

Completes nursing unit inspections regarding dispensing of drugs;

Repackages medications into dispensing units.

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  Candidates must meet the following requirements on or before the date of the written test:

Graduation from high school or possession of a high school equivalency diploma and six (6) months of pharmacy experience* (see Note 1).

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Possession of a license to practice as a Registered Pharmacy Technician or Pharmacist in New York State at time of appointment and maintenance throughout duration of appointment; or:

Possession of a limited (intern) permit as a Pharmacist in New York State at time of appointment and maintenance throughout duration of appointment.

Notes:

1. *Either of the following may be substituted for the required six (6) months of pharmacy experience:

a) Successful completion of a Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB)-recognized education/training program; or:

b) Successful completion of one (1) semester in a regionally accredited or New York State registered School of Pharmacy.

2. Verifiable part-time and/or volunteer experience will be pro-rated toward meeting full-time experience requirements

The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However, candidates may find information in the publication 'General Guide to Written Tests' helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at:https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.

Subjects of Examination:

Scopes / Subjects of examination: A test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas.

Name and number checking

These questions test for the ability to distinguish between sets of words, letters, and/or numbers that are almost exactly alike. Material is usually presented in two or three columns, and you will have to determine how the entry in the first column compares with the entry in the second column and possibly the third. You will be instructed to mark your answers according to a designated code provided in the directions.

Operations with Letters and Numbers

These questions test for skills and abilities in operations involving alphabetizing, comparing, checking and counting. The questions require you to follow the specific directions given for each question which may involve alphabetizing, comparing, checking and counting given groups of letters and/or numbers.

Keeping simple inventory records

These questions test for the ability to follow instructions in keeping simple inventory records of different materials received and distributed from a central location. The ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide will be required. You may have to compute total costs from quantities (number of units) and cost or price per unit. Knowledge of specific record keeping systems and techniques will not be needed.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES:  It is recommended that candidates use a quiet, hand held, solar or battery powered calculator.  Devices with typewriter keyboards, "Spell Checkers", “Personal Digital Assistants", "Address Books", "Language Translators", "Dictionaries", or any similar devices are prohibited.  You may not bring books or other reference materials.

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A $20.00 filing fee is required for this exam. The required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.