Pharmacy technicians play an essential role in the healthcare industry, and there is a growing need for qualified workers in the field. Under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, pharmacy technicians are in charge of processing, preparing and dispensing prescriptions. Typically pharmacy technicians find work at hospitals, pharmacies, dispensaries, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, health stores, drug manufacturing and insurance companies.
What Are A Pharmacy Technician’s Daily Duties?
A pharmacy technician receives prescription orders and responds to them appropriately, step by step. Those tasks include:
- Confirming and updating a patient’s name, contact information, health care provider and insurer
- Verifying the information provided on a prescription with the pharmacist
- Counting pills, weighing tablets, and pouring the appropriate amount of liquid medications
- Mixing pharmaceutical compounds
- Labeling and packaging prescriptions
- Assisting patients with locating over-the-counter medications
- Answering basic questions regarding drug administration
- Referring patients to pharmacists to discuss drug information, interactions with other medications, and other health-related matters
- Accepting payment for prescriptions
Other Duties of a Pharmacy Technician
There’s more to a pharmacy technician’s role than interacting with patients and preparing their prescriptions. Often their job duties include responsibility for the upkeep and security of the pharmacy. A pharmacy technician may also be required to:
- Maintain the pharmacy’s inventory of medications, dispensing and compounding supplies, pharmacy and lab equipment, and office supplies
- Receive shipments, carefully labeling and storing the items
- Keep the pharmacy and lab equipment clean
- Handle patient documentation — for example, preparing and processing medical insurance claims
What Does It Take To Be A Pharmacy Technician?
Although requirements to work as a pharmacy technician vary from state to state, in Florida, you can earn your diploma and begin your career in less than a year. To find out whether working as a pharmacy technician is a good fit for your personality, consider the demands of the job. You’ll be interacting with doctors, pharmacists, insurance companies and patients on a daily basis. Being able to communicate clearly in a friendly, professional manner is an important aspect of your success as a pharmacy technician. Attention to detail is another important consideration as you decide whether a career as a pharmacy technician is right for you. Accuracy when measuring compounds and labeling drugs is critical for patient safety. You should also be comfortable working in a lab environment and using technology; you’ll be spending a lot of time at the computer accessing patient data, medication information, and tracking drug inventory and office supplies.
Want To Learn More About A Career As A Pharmacy Technician?
FVI School of Nursing and Technology offers an accredited pharmacy technician training program to get you on the road to a job in this high-demand field. Contact us today to learn more about our academic and professional programs.
