Med Tech

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Med Techs provide routine assistance care in a manner conducive to the comfort and safety of residents in accordance with Federal, State, and local regulations, and are delegated the responsibility for carrying out the assigned duties by the LPN Charge Nurse, Assisted Living Administrator, or other assigned supervisory personnel to assure that the highest degree of quality resident care can be maintained at all times.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB

The following job functions have been determined to be essential to the position of a Med Tech.  Because of fluctuations in workload demands, as well as tasks often overlapping, frequency ranges and percentages vary by assignment, day of week, day, evening, or night shift, etc.  However, low frequency and percentage or duration of time spent on a particular task may not indicate lack of importance. Bayside Senior Living reserves the right to modify this list of essential and other functions as deemed necessary.

• Verify level of assistance required per 1823 form/medication assessment and informed consent.
• Maintain all medications ordered by the health care provider in a locked, central storage.
• All medications that are ordered by the health care provider (inclusive of prescription and OTC medications) must meet the 8 mandated labeling requirements.  (Physician/practitioner name, resident name, date dispensed, name and strength of drug, quantity of drug, directions for use, pharmacy name, address and telephone number and expiration date.)  If the determination has been made that the resident needs assistance with medications and a resident requests OTC items be maintained in their room for unsupervised use, the facility must notify the physician and request an order that the resident may keep OTC item in room and self administer per manufacturers directions.

• Samples/Complimentary medications are acceptable if properly labeled.  A health care provider/nurse practitioner may dispense samples if the medication is in the original manufacturer’s package and inclusive of the physician/practitioner’s name, the resident’s name, and the date dispensed.  If the samples are not in the manufacturer’s package, the container must bear a label that includes the health care provider’s name and address, resident’s name, drug name and strength, directions for use and expiration date.
• PRN medications must indicate specific reasons and frequency for use.
• Direction changes:  An alert label can be placed on the original supply (not to obstruct any legal labeling components of the package) to indicate a change in dosing/frequency, etc.  This alert will afford the staff the opportunity to exhaust the current supply of medications on hand. Never make an alteration on the original label of a prescribed medication.

Job Title:   Med Tech (continued)

• A licensed staff member can take a medication change order by telephone.  Unlicensed personnel cannot, although they may implement a change once written documentation is received by the health care provider or pharmacist.
• Maintenance of accurate and timely documentation of all medications ordered by the health care provider on a monthly medication observation record.
• Bayside Senior Living must make every reasonable effort to ensure that prescriptions for residents who receive assistance with self-administration of medication are refilled in a timely manner.  If a delay is noted with medication delivery subsequent to availability of responsible party/mail order time frames, etc.; A 7-day emergency supply will be ordered from the preferred pharmacy provider and the cost of the necessary medication will be allocated to the responsible party that was responsible for the delay.  This measure will be implemented to prevent a negative outcome for the resident and will certainly be communicated to the responsible party in a timely manner
• Maintain all residents’ rights and 5 medication rights with all medication management intervention
• Supervise with self administration of medications as ordered by health care provider
• As an essential function of the job, Med Techs are regularly called on to effectively report emergencies such as residents’/patient’s condition changes, as well as accidents and incidents, complaints and grievances by residents/patients and their families, etc.  It is determined that Med Techs have the ability to communicate with others and do not pose a direct threat to the safety or health of self or others.

EDUCATION REQUIRED

In the interest of residents/patients, Med Techs will have the preferred minimum educational background of having a high school diploma or GED equivalency.

CERTIFICATION

Applicants and employees will have successfully completed an approved Med Tech training course and be certified in this state.

EXPERIENCE

Med Techs will have six months’ experience working in a nursing home, hospital, home health agency, or other health care facility.

EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, MACHINES AND/OR TOOLS USED

The following is a list of the principal equipment, materials, machines, tools, etc. used by Med Techs.

• Scales
• Med Carts
• Bed and bath linens
• Bedside commodes, bedpans, urinals
• Radio
• Shavers
• Shower chairs
• Soap and hygiene supplies
• Special eating utensils
• Thermometers
• Walkers
• Wheelchairs
• Wrist watches
• Other miscellaneous devices and nursing supplies