Editor: What To Know
- Pharmacy technicians are also knowledgeable and able to tackle most of the day-to-day tasks of working in a retail pharmacy environment.
- From preparing medications, interpreting prescriptions, answering questions, and doing various admin work, pharmacy technicians do a lot of the heavy lifting involved in dispensing medicines throughout the healthcare industry.
- Anyone looking for an altruistic way of making a career out of helping people might consider becoming a pharmacy technician.
The Healthcare industry is constantly growing. As the industry grows, changes and evolves, the demand for professionals in the field grows concurrently with it. Pharmacy technicians, especially, are in high demand. Pharmacy technicians are responsible for a wide array of different duties and pharmacies and hospitals. From preparing medications, interpreting prescriptions, answering questions, and doing various admin work, pharmacy technicians do a lot of the heavy lifting involved in dispensing medicines throughout the healthcare industry. It’s an exciting field that’s full of opportunity. Anyone looking for an altruistic way of making a career out of helping people might consider becoming a pharmacy technician. Today, we’re covering a few of the job duties required of the role to help you decide if it’s right for you. Let’s dive right in.
Pharmacy Technicians Have Many Responsibilities
Pharmacists play an integral role in the healthcare system. A dedicated and highly educated role, being a pharmacist is a rewarding career choice for many. But they need assistance once in a while. That’s where a pharmacy technician steps up to the plate. Pharmacy technicians are responsible for assisting pharmacists in preparing and distributing medications. This might mean mixing, measuring, counting, and labeling the drug. It also means having a good feel for administration and excellent customer service skills. Pharmacy technicians are also knowledgeable and able to tackle most of the day-to-day tasks of working in a retail pharmacy environment. Whether helping customers with questions or ensuring medication is being prepared safely, pharmacy technicians wear many hats in their role within the pharmacy.
Preparing Medications
Out of their many duties, preparing medications is one of the most essential. It starts with collecting extremely accurate information from patients. From there, they must prepare the medicine. A pharmacy technician must prepare medications according to prescription orders and instructions from pharmacists or positions. This can include measuring out dosages, counting pills, and ensuring the right liquids are mixed depending on the medication. It’s imperative to have a good understanding of how medications work. A high level of literacy is also required. In a retail capacity, pharmacy technicians will likely assist customers with over-the-counter medicines and prescriptions. This means having a working knowledge of what the pharmacy offers and how it can affect people. A pharmacy technician should be able to prepare medication without contaminating anything and understand what they’re doing at all times.
Interpreting Prescriptions
Preparing prescriptions seems pretty straightforward, but it’s a bit more involved than one might expect. Pharmacy technicians must learn how to interpret prescriptions doctors provide. This requires some specialized knowledge and some general knowledge of what drugs are on the market and which dosages are appropriate. Technicians must follow instructions correctly because an incorrect or improper interpretation can lead to overdose, health risks, hospitalization, or worse. Since your job is to help people, it is imperative to understand how to interpret prescriptions appropriately. Fortunately, this (and other vital topics) is covered in pharmacy technician online training, ensuring aspiring pharmacy techs get the correct information they need right off the bat.
Accurately Labeling Medications and Supplies
Another vital part of a pharmacy technician’s job is to label medications and supplies accurately. It’s a critical responsibility that can never be neglected or avoided. This task requires the technician to pay close attention to detail when creating labels can lead to patient harm or other trouble. All medication containers must contain accurate medical supply labels. The labels should also include specific information. This includes the name of the drug, its strength, the quantity dispensed, and potential side effects. Expiration dates and storage conditions are also necessary to keep patients safe. Accurately ensures the safety of patients when they receive medication and also protects their well-being in the long term.
Entering Patient Information into the Database
Aside from fulfilling prescriptions and labeling medications, pharmacy technicians are also largely responsible for entering patient information into databases. Not only that, but they ensure information is accurate and up to date. They can also assist premises with insurance claims. That way, everybody gets paid and customers receive medication at a reasonable cost. A big part of the job is handling billing and payment processes as well as inventory. Performing these critical tasks is up to the pharmacy assistant and ultimately ensures the pharmacy runs as smoothly and efficiently as possible.
