Have you been wondering, "What exactly does a pharmacy technician do?" The answer to this question has changed significantly in recent years. In the past, pharmacy technicians were primarily focused on assisting the pharmacist and serving as clerks or cashiers. Today, with the increase in digital engagement and online pharmacy operations, the role has evolved considerably.
Gone are the days when pharmacy technicians were simply assistants behind a counter. Modern pharmacy technicians need to be technically skilled to communicate digitally, interpret written prescriptions, and perform complex pharmacy calculations. They must also provide excellent customer service, exercising compassion, while maintaining efficiency and accuracy at all times. Whether it's comforting a worried parent picking up a prescription for their child or assisting a doctor with urgent medication needs, pharmacy technicians are an essential part of healthcare.
Where Do Pharmacy Technicians Work?1
Today's pharmacy technicians work in a diverse range of 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
Did You Know? Every U.S. state has specific licensing and certification requirements regulated by its State Board of Pharmacy.
Pharmacy Techs in a Retail or Community Pharmacy1
Pharmacy technicians play a significant role in the operations of retail and community pharmacies. Their responsibilities include:
- 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 like 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 patients in the hospital, including those in the emergency room, operating rooms or outpatient sites. Other responsibilities include:
- 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.
Essential Skills and Qualifications
Whether working in a hospital, retail, or another setting, pharmacy technicians need a well-rounded skill set to thrive in the field and be versatile enough to move from one setting to another. These essential skills include:
- Supply Management
- Organization
- Accurate Reporting
- Quality control
- Analyze information
Pharmacy technicians today must adapt alongside the evolving environment of pharmacy and healthcare, stay updated with new technology, and continuously expand their skill sets to provide better patient care.
Finding the Right Pharmacy Tech Program
If you're prepared to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical field, it's wise to select a program that meets your needs and gives you hands-on experience. Consider these key components in your search for a pharmacy tech program:
- Opportunities for hands-on training in real-world pharmacy settings.
- Flexibility in program structure, such as a blended learning module that combines online classes with in-person instruction.
- An industry-current curriculum that reflects today's pharmacy needs.
- Dedicated faculty with proven expertise in pharmacy practice.
Embark on a Rewarding Career as a Pharmacy Technician
Looking to jumpstart your career as a pharmacy technician? American Career College offers a hands-on Pharmacy Technician program that can be completed in as little as nine months. The program combines online classes with two days of in-person instruction at one of our centrally located campuses in Los Angeles, Ontario, or Orange County.
Apply online and prepare to gain the knowledge and skills needed to become a confident pharmacy technician.
1 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacy-technicians.htm
