The main duty of a pharmacy technician is to aid registered pharmacists in providing patients with medicine and health care products. They are also generally involved with assisting in arrangement of prescribed medication, counting medicine stocks and applying labels. They can also deal with customer inquiries and other operations of the pharmacy.
In a typical retail or mail-order pharmacy, technicians can have distinct duties and responsibilities. This will usually depend on the state they are working in and the laws that apply in them. Doctors can send prescriptions to a pharmacy technician, and he is responsible for analyzing them and making certain that they are complete and concise before the actual preparation of the medication. Once the prescription is verified, the technician will now acquire the medicine and extract the right proportions and dosages before giving them to the patient.
In a hospital or nursing home setting, pharmacy technicians may be tasked with extra duties like reviewing patient's records and medicine preparation. Once a pharmacist verifies the accuracy of a prescription, the technician will be the one to deliver it to the patient. He will then record pertinent information in the records of the patient. They can also be tasked with supplying medication for patients in a 24-hour period.
Pharmacy technicians have the privilege of a clean and organized working environment, often in areas with proper ventilation and lighting. Their work will involve some physical and mental tasks and requires that the person be in good health and shape. They will usually work in the same hours as duly-licensed pharmacists, and may work on night shifts, weekends and even holidays, specifically on hospitals and other establishments which are open for 24 hours.
Majority of pharmacy technicians receive on-the-job training, but can also undergo formal pharmacy technician training at a licensed pharmacy tech school although technicians that undergo formal training are more preferred by employers. In the US, there are presently little or no Federal laws regarding pharmacy technicians being required to undergo formal training or receive certification before working.
An official pharmacy technician training will generally include classroom and laboratory sessions, just like in other educational courses. They will be given proper training in pharmaceutical and medical terminologies, recording, calculations, pharmacy law, ethics and techniques. The training will also require them to be adept with names of medicines, their use and right dosage. Pharmacy technician training programs will usually include internships to give individuals a chance to apply what they have learned in a real work environment. Upon completion of the program, they can be given a diploma, certificate or associate's degree by the pharmacy tech school, whichever is applicable.
To have a better chance of success in this industry, one must posses great skills in customer support and working with a group because they will be interacting with patients, professionals and co-workers most of the time. They will also benefit from having a good foundation in reading, spelling and mathematics. It is important that a technician is very observant, can work with initiative, responsible, organized, alert and has passion for work. Equally important is having precision in skills and actions since we are dealing with human lives here, and we can't compromise anything.
The demand for pharmacy technicians has soared with the increasing duties of pharmacists. In order to become a proficient pharmacy technician, it is important that you undergo proper pharmacy technician training from an accredited pharmacy tech school. This is a very rewarding career and can take you a long way.
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