Pharmacy technicians are key to the success of millions of pharmacies all over the world. In a pharmacy technician job, no two days are ever the same, which makes it a great career for people who thrive on change and a fast-paced environment. The pharmacy technician career includes many important duties that affect the health and welfare of people, which also makes it a great career for people who care about serving their fellow humans.
Overview of a Pharmacy Technician Career
The main job of a pharmacy technician is processing prescriptions but they also have a variety of administrative roles such as performing monthly inventory counts, stocking medications, filing paperwork and checking the inventory for expired medications. A pharmacy technician is also responsible for the safe handling of patient information to insure that federal privacy laws are met. It’s a big job, but fortunately a qualified pharmacy technician school will make sure that you are ready.
When a patient comes into the pharmacy, the pharmacy technician is generally the first person they see. The pharmacy technician greets the patient, enters their prescription information into a computer and also processes their insurance. The pharmacy technician also fills the prescription and packages it with the right paperwork, including dosage information and any warnings, for the patient.
Filling Prescriptions: Not as Easy as You Might Think
While filling a prescription may seem simple enough, a pharmacy technician school will teach you that there are actually many steps involved in filling a prescription. For example, when a patient hands you their prescription, you first need to make sure it is valid. A valid prescription must include the physician’s name, business address, and phone number. If the prescription is for a controlled substance, such as opioids, the physician’s medical license number must also be on the prescription. You may also need to collect additional identifying information such as the patient’s address and phone number in order to make sure that the patient isn’t confused with another patient with a similar or same name.
The most important duty in a pharmacy technician career, however, is actually filling the prescription—and filling it correctly. Filling a prescription with the incorrect medication or with incorrect dosage information could have fatal effects! Because many medications have similar names, a pharmacy technician pay strict attention to details to make sure they have pulled the correct medication off the shelf. They also have to make sure that they have chosen the correct strength; many medications come in a variety of strengths. Again, a good pharmacy technician school will teach you how to expertly identify correct medications and strengths and even how to measure out medications that, for example, come in a powder form.
A pharmacy technician is also responsible for filing insurance claims. This can generally be done by checking the pharmacy’s computer database but it’s always a good idea to have the patient confirm that the information is up-to-date. If the prescription is entered but the insurance company denies it, then it is often up to the pharmacy technician to figure out what went wrong. For example, there may be a typographical error when the prescription was entered or the prescription is not due to be refilled. Sometimes, the pharmacy technician will need to call the insurance company to solve the problem. Because this process can be frustrating for the patient as well as time-consuming a pharmacy technician will need to be trained by a pharmacy technician school on how to manage customer service issues.
Finding a Great Pharmacy Technician School in Miami
At FVI School of Nursing and Technology in Miami, we specialize in training for a successful vocational career in many fields including healthcare and information technology. Our pharmacy technician program provides instruction in how to assist the pharmacist in the packing and distribution of medication. Graduates of our pharmacy technician program in Miami can find employment in hospitals, nursing care facilities, private and chain drug stores, drug manufacturers, wholesale drug houses, and health maintenance organizations.
We’ve made our admissions process extremely simple so that it is easy for you to get started on the path to career success. We maintain a staff of financial aid professionals to assist you in finding any financial aid that you may need in order to meet your educational expenses. Available resources include federal grant and loan programs, student loans from private lenders.
At FVI, we focus on teaching you the real world, hands on skills you need to be ready for a career in healthcare or information technology. The demand for healthcare and information technology professionals is growing rapidly. Our pharmacy technician program can be completed in less than a year giving you an opportunity to get your career started quickly. And you’ll find that the leadership team FVI possesses decades of experience in career training. We are also licensed by the State of Florida, Commission for Independent Education.
So what are you waiting for? Jump start your pharmacy technician career today by giving us a call to find out more!
