Top Pharmacy Schools Online

 The Pharmacy Technician is basically a Pharmacist Assistant.  These technicians work directly under a licensed pharmacist’s supervision.  As a Pharmacy Technician you will perform many varied duties and responsibilities depending on where you are employed.  Generally a technician performs many of the functions that a pharmacist does.  However everything that you do has to be overseen and approved by a pharmacist.  One basic function of a pharmacy technician is to provide medication to the customers or patients.  Once again this responsibility varies depending on the employment location.  Technicians may count the pills and label the bottles but the pharmacist must always check it before it goes to a patient or customer.

Pharmacy technicians are expected to be very detail oriented.  They have to be very accurate about the way they prepare medications.  It is also a major benefit if the technician has excellent public relations skills.  Technicians who work in clinics or hospitals will most definitely have different duties and responsibilities than a technician in the local or department store pharmacy.  Typically technicians all share some of the basic functions like receiving and verifying prescriptions.  They also must ensure that the prescriptions are authentic.  The process of filling a prescription is very important and must be handled with care.  Pharmacy technicians have to make sure the right patients are getting the correct medicine.

The Pharmacist must supervise the technician as he or she prepares medication through the processes of mixing, counting pills, and labeling bottles.  There is no room for error here  as these prescriptions can be a matter of life and death.  Pharmaceuticals is a big business and the medication must be controlled with the utmost of care to conform to financial and legal regulations.  Often times a pharmacy technician will quote the price for customers prior to filling their prescriptions.  In many situations the pharmacy technician is the cashier.  Although a pharmacy technician may do a cashiers job, a cashier cannot perform the duties and responsibilities of a pharmacy technician. 

All duties performed by a pharmacy technician must be approved by the residing pharmacist.  The responsibility of ensuring precision in the process rests on the pharmacist.  The technician will typically do the patient’s paperwork and fill out the insurance claims.  They will also assist the pharmacist with medication inventory, patient paperwork, and regular duties associated with an organized workplace.  One thing a pharmacy technician cannot do is offer professional medical advice on the medication.  Professional medical advice regarding medications needs to be discussed only with a registered pharmacist.  Once again, there is no room for error here. 

In hospitals or clinics; pharmacy technicians who are employed directly in patient care will read the patients’ charts, verify prescriptions, prepare the medicine, and deliver it to the patients.  In most cases pharmacy technicians are required to complete pharmaceutical programs and possess certification.  They also have to be certified through the Institute of Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT) and the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).  The more education you have in the field will greatly increase your chances of employment.  The average salary for a pharmacy technician depending on experience and education is $44,000. 

A Pharmacy Technicians career can be very rewarding and can be a stepping stone to becoming a registered pharmacist.  It can also be a great start in a career in the broader healthcare industry.  The job is vital in the process of running a smooth pharmacy operation.  The pharmaceutical career field continues to grow with no end in sight.  Customers and patients will always need prescriptions to be filled and medications to make them well.

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