Pharmacy Technician Schools

In the retail pharmacy setting, a pharmacy technician will handle:

• Taking prescriptions from the consumer and ensuring their accuracy
• Processing the prescription either by manually entering it into the database or scanning it
• Filling the prescription
  • Counting the correct number of pills
  • Making sure the dosage is correct
  • Printing the label
  • Handing the filled prescription over to the customer
• Answering any questions the customer may have

The pharmacist will check over the technicians work to ensure the medication has been properly filled and handled before it reaches the consumer, and will also be on call if the customer has any questions about the medication the pharmacy tech cannot answer. If at any point questions arise about the prescription in terms of legibility or comprehension, the pharmacy tech must follow up with the prescribing physician to ensure the accuracy of the medication, dosage, and information to keep the patient safe.

Other responsibilities may include cashiering from time to time; rotating medication stock to ensure older medication gets used before its expiration, ordering and handling supplies, keeping over-the-counter medication fresh, and dealing with health insurance companies and claims. Though some may consider this as busy work, a pharmacy technician who does these jobs helps keep the pharmacy running smoothly and the pharmacist available to consumers.

A Rewarding Career

In patient care facilities, the pharmacy technician will still be monitored by a pharmacist, though he or she will be required to look at the patient chart to find out information about medication and dosage, make notations regarding the last administered dose, and other pertinent information. He or she will fill prescriptions for patients who can take their own medication, and once the information has been checked for accuracy by the pharmacist, he or she will release the medication to be administered by the nurse or other faculty member in charge of medication distribution, where it will once again be checked for accuracy before reaching the patient. The pharmacy technician will also put together medication packages for patients who require daily treatments.

These will be checked by the pharmacist, released to the medicine cart for the nurse, and checked again before making it to the patient to ensure everyone gets the medication required, and nothing else.

Depending on the employer, some pharmacy technicians may be required to work odd hours in order to meet consumer demand. It is important to recognize these requirements prior to accepting positions with any company. Though pharmacy technicians live under a bit of pressure to make sure medications are correct, this is a rewarding career for many which opens the door to further opportunities such as becoming a pharmacist later.