New Key Roles for Pharmacy Technicians

04/09/2019

What Does A Pharmacy Technician Do

Have you been considering a career in pharmacy and asked, “What does a pharmacy technician do?” There are multiple skills a pharmacy technician needs in order to thrive in this career.

In the past few years, the role of a pharmacy technician has evolved significantly with changes in the tasks for which they are responsible. Until recently, their tasks were more focused on assisting the pharmacist and serving as clerks or cashiers. Now, with an increase in digital engagement and online pharmacy operations, the technician has to be skilled technically in order to communicate digitally, interpret written prescriptions, and perform pharmacy calculations. The pharmacy technician must also provide good customer service through compassion, and maintain efficiency and accuracy at all times.

Where Do Pharmacy Technicians Work?

Today, pharmacy technicians work in many different environments:

Hospital/Clinic pharmacies
Community or retail pharmacies
Pharmaceutical production or sales in the pharmaceutical industry
Prisons
Primary care organizations
Education and training
Military
Veterinary pharmacies
Pharmacy organizations

In the United States, the State Board of Pharmacy of every state regulates licensing or certification requirements as well as decrees the specific tasks that a pharmacy technician can perform.
There are two common employment settings, a retail or community pharmacy and a hospital, where the roles and duties of a pharmacy technicians may differ slightly.

Pharmacy Techs in a Retail or Community Pharmacy

Significant to the operations of a pharmacy, a pharmacy technician has many responsibilities in a retail or community setting, which include these tasks:

Supplying prescription and over-the-counter medicine to patients
Using technology to record customer and prescription data into the computer
Assembling medication for prescriptions, filling and labelling prescriptions
Providing patients and other healthcare professionals with relevant information
Preparing or compounding medications
Managing inventory, tracking supplies, verifying the stock received and identifying expired stock
Collecting payments from customers and recording the details in the inventory system

Pharmacy Technicians in a Hospital Setting

At an outpatient pharmacy in a hospital, patients collect their prescriptions to take home. In this setting, the duties of a pharmacy technician are similar to those in a retail pharmacy.

However, hospital pharmacy technicians are responsible for a variety of clerical duties, in addition to providing customer service to physicians, nurses and other hospital staff members. The hospital pharmacy has less direct contact with patients, but does most of its communication with the staff electronically or by telephone. These pharmacies provide medicine to all the patients in the hospital, including those in the emergency room, operating rooms or outpatient sites. Other responsibilities include these tasks:

Making IVs: Pharmacy technicians are required to make IVs in the inpatient pharmacies in hospitals. This requires special training in aseptic techniques to prevent contamination as well as clean room procedures.
Preparing prescription medications like pills or capsules, along with other medications like creams, ointments and compounds
Verifying orders, counting out the correct number of capsules or tablets as per the prescription, and labelling completed orders
Filling out requisition forms and other paperwork
Protecting patients and employees by enforcing infection-control policies and protocols
Filling the automated medication dispensers found in patient areas of some hospital facilities
Preparing reports by collecting and summarizing information of the medicine dispensed, existing and ordered stock, etc.

Pharmacy Technician Skills and Qualifications

Pharmacy technicians need a well-rounded skill set. Whether they are working in a hospital, retail, or another setting, these skills are essential in order to thrive in the field, as well as be versatile enough to move from one setting to another. These skills will also remain relevant no matter how much the profession changes throughout the years. The essential skills needed by pharmacy technicians include the following:

Supply Management
Organization
Accurate Reporting
Quality control
Analyze information

Pharmacy technicians today are expected to adapt alongside the evolving environment of the pharmacy and the medical care industry, stay updated with new technology and increase their skill set in order to provide better patient care. Our Pharmacy Technician program at American Career College gives you an edge to do well in this exciting industry. Get in touch with us to learn more.

ACC cannot guarantee employment. Programs vary by campus. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or position of the school or of any instructor or student. For graduation rates, median debt of graduates completing this program and other important information, visit americancareercollege.edu/disclosures.

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New Key Roles for Pharmacy Technicians

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New Key Roles for Pharmacy Technicians

HEALTH

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