Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for IV Technician

🎯 Role Definition

An IV Technician (Intravenous/Infusion Technician) is responsible for preparing, compounding, labeling, and handling sterile intravenous (IV) admixtures and infusion products under strict aseptic conditions. This role supports pharmacists and clinical teams by ensuring accurate preparation of medications, maintaining cleanroom and laminar flow hood standards, managing inventory and documentation, and participating in quality assurance and regulatory compliance activities (e.g., USP <797> and USP <800>). The IV Technician plays a critical role in patient safety, medication integrity, and operational efficiency in pharmacy or infusion clinic environments.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Pharmacy Technician (entry-level/retail or hospital)
Medical Assistant or Phlebotomist with sterile technique training
Laboratory Technician or Sterile Processing Technician

Advancement To:

Lead IV Technician / Senior IV Technician
Sterile Compounding Supervisor or Quality Assurance Technician
Pharmacy Supervisor or Infusion Services Coordinator
Infusion Nurse or Clinical Pharmacist (with additional licensure/education)

Lateral Moves:

Central Sterile/ Sterile Processing Technician
Medication Safety or Clinical Support Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Prepare and compound sterile IV admixtures, parenteral nutrition (PN), chemotherapy, and biologic infusions following hospital policies, physician orders, and pharmacist verification to ensure correct dose, concentration, and compatibility.
Perform aseptic technique consistently within ISO-classified cleanrooms, laminar airflow hoods (LAFH), and compounding aseptic isolators (CAIs/CSAs) to minimize contamination risk.
Adhere to USP <797>, USP <800>, and internal standard operating procedures (SOPs) for sterile compounding, hazardous drug handling, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and environmental controls.
Operate, clean, and validate laminar flow hoods, biological safety cabinets, and compounding isolators; perform daily hood sanitation and pre-use checks to maintain sterile environment readiness.
Conduct gravimetric verification, volumetric measurements, and barcode/label verification for each compounded preparation to ensure dosing accuracy and traceability.
Reconstitute, dilute, and mix sterile medications using approved techniques, including hazardous drug containment procedures when handling cytotoxic or antineoplastic agents.
Label, affix auxiliary labels, and document lot numbers, beyond-use dates (BUDs), and storage instructions on IV bags, syringes, and infusion sets according to regulatory requirements.
Receive and inspect incoming sterile drug components, sterile water, and parenteral supplies for integrity, expiration, and correct product before storage or compounding.
Maintain controlled inventory levels for sterile compounding supplies, medications, and infusion disposables; rotate stock using FIFO (first in, first out) practices and report shortages proactively.
Prepare batch compounding runs and standardized IV admixture kits to support high-volume clinical areas while maintaining sterility and documentation standards.
Perform environmental and personnel monitoring activities, including settling plates, surface sampling, and gowning competency checks; document results and escalate deviations to pharmacy leadership.
Execute final visual inspections and quality control checks of compounded products and report any particulate matter, discoloration, or packaging defects to the pharmacist for disposition.
Document all compounding activities, batch records, and quality logs in electronic or paper systems to support regulatory inspections and traceability.
Assist pharmacists with medication reconciliation for infusion therapy orders, clarifying orders, and preparing urgent stat admixtures in rapid response scenarios.
Dispose of hazardous and non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste according to facility protocols, DOT, and EPA regulations; maintain hazardous drug handling records.
Support calibration and preventive maintenance schedules for infusion pumps, syringe drivers, and compounding equipment; coordinate repairs with biomedical engineering or vendor services.
Train and mentor new IV Technicians and pharmacy staff on sterile compounding techniques, aseptic practices, and SOP compliance; participate in competency assessments.
Participate in medication safety, quality improvement, and root cause analysis activities for compounding errors, contamination events, or near-misses; implement corrective actions.
Coordinate with purchasing and suppliers to source sterile components, ensure cold-chain integrity when receiving temperature-sensitive products, and validate vendor documentation.
Prepare and maintain emergency compounding kits and readily available infusion supplies for rapid-response codes or urgent patient care situations.
Support outpatient or home infusion services by preparing patient-specific infusion bags, educating patients on pump handling (as allowed by scope), and packaging products for safe transport.
Maintain accurate billing codes and documentation to support infusion reimbursement workflows and pharmacy charge capture processes (where applicable).
Participate in accreditation and compliance activities including inspections by The Joint Commission, state boards of pharmacy, and internal audits; implement action plans for findings.

Secondary Functions

Support pharmacy and clinical teams with inventory analytics and cycle counts to optimize stock levels and reduce expirations.
Assist with SOP development, updates, and process mapping to improve sterile compounding efficiency and compliance.
Contribute to environmental monitoring program design, trend analysis, and reporting to leadership.
Engage in interdisciplinary committees (safety, infection control, pharmacy operations) to provide input on compounding and infusion workflows.
Participate in vendor qualification and evaluation for sterile compounding equipment and supplies.
Provide input on space planning and facility upgrades to optimize cleanroom layout and workflow.
Serve as a backup resource for medication distribution tasks during peak periods or staff shortages.
Assist with the onboarding process by creating training materials, competency checklists, and demonstration sessions.
Support electronic health record (EHR) and pharmacy information system (PIS) integration by validating compound profiles and user access.
Participate in continuous education activities to stay current on best practices, new infusion therapies, and regulatory changes.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Proficient in sterile compounding techniques for IV admixtures, parenteral nutrition, and chemotherapy preparation.
Strong working knowledge of USP <797> and USP <800> standards and the ability to apply these regulations in daily compounding activities.
Competency operating laminar flow hoods, biological safety cabinets, compounding aseptic isolators (CAI/CSA), and cleanroom equipment.
Experience with gravimetric verification, volumetric measurement, and barcode scanning systems for dose accuracy and product verification.
Familiarity with hazardous drug handling protocols, containment strategies, and appropriate PPE usage.
Ability to read and interpret physician orders, concentration calculations, IV flow rates, and infusion pump settings.
Experience with environmental monitoring techniques (settling plates, surface sampling), media fills, and aseptic technique competency assessment.
Proficiency with pharmacy information systems (PIS), electronic medication administration records (eMAR), and basic inventory management software.
Knowledge of cold-chain management, sterile supply handling, and storage requirements for biologics and temperature-sensitive products.
Understanding of infection control, waste disposal regulations (hazardous pharmaceutical waste), and documentation requirements for audits.
Basic troubleshooting and preventive maintenance knowledge for compounding equipment and infusion pumps.
Familiarity with labeling standards, lot traceability, beyond-use dating (BUD) calculations, and controlled substance handling (if applicable).

Soft Skills

Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to patient safety.
Strong communication skills for collaborating with pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and supply chain staff.
Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple compounding tasks in a fast-paced environment.
Problem-solving mindset with the ability to escalate issues appropriately and participate in corrective action plans.
Dependability, integrity, and adherence to strict protocols and regulatory requirements.
Ability to work independently and as part of an interdisciplinary team while maintaining composure under pressure.
Continuous learning orientation and openness to feedback during competency assessments and audits.
Effective time management with the ability to prioritize urgent stat compounding requests.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED required. Completion of a certified Pharmacy Technician program or comparable technical training is strongly preferred.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree in Pharmacy Technology, Medical Laboratory Technician, Nursing, or related allied health field.
Certification as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) or state pharmacy technician registration/licensure where applicable.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Pharmacy Technology
Nursing or Nursing Assistant Programs
Medical Laboratory Technology
Sterile Processing / Allied Health

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–4 years of pharmacy experience; 1–2 years specifically in sterile compounding or infusion preparation preferred.

Preferred:

2+ years of direct sterile compounding/IV admixture experience in a hospital pharmacy, compounding facility, or outpatient infusion clinic.
Demonstrated competency with USP <797>/<800> practices, laminar flow hood operations, and media fill performance documented in a training file.
Prior experience supporting chemotherapy compounding, parenteral nutrition, or home infusion services is a strong plus.