• Organize inventory and alert pharmacists to any shortages of medications or supplies • Accept payment for prescriptions and process insurance claims • Enter customer or patient information, including any prescriptions taken, into a computer system • Answer phone calls from customers • Arrange for customers to speak with pharmacists if customers have questions about medications or health matters Pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of a pharmacists, who must review prescriptions before they are given to patients. In most states, technicians can compound or mix some medications and call physicians for prescription refill authorizations. Technicians also may need to operate automated dispensing equipment when filling prescription orders. Pharmacy technicians typically learn through on-the-job training, or they may complete a postsecondary education program. Most states regulate pharmacy technicians, which is a process that may require passing an exam or completing a formal education or training program. These programs are usually offered by vocational schools or community colleges. Most programs award a certificate after 1 year or less, although some programs last longer and lead to an associate’s degree. Technicians also learn the names, uses, and doses of medications. Most programs also include clinical experience opportunities, in which students gain hands-on experience in a pharmacy. Important Qualities Customer-service skills. Pharmacy technicians spend much of their time interacting with customers, so being helpful and polite are required of pharmacy technicians in a retail setting. Detail oriented. Serious health problems can result from mistakes in filling prescriptions. Although the pharmacist is responsible for ensuring the safety of all medications dispensed, pharmacy technicians should be detail oriented so that complications are
In order to work as a pharmacy technician the state of Texas. Pharmacy technician training programs are not required to be approved by the board. Nothing in the standards shall prevent individual training programs from establishing more stringent requirements than those specified herein. A pharmacy technician will not be subject to CE audits by TSBP if they remain certified through PTCB. And that you need to have a clean background for yourself so you can become a pharmacy technician. Although the board sets standards for the approval of pharmacy technician training programs. The board rules do not require individuals seeking to become registered as a pharmacy technician to take a formal training course. Other Pharmacy technicians enter the
It is this singular fact that very few people realize. A pharmacy technician who receives no formal training is responsible for not just the delivery of a patient’s medication, but also for their bill, their confidential information, and their life. The question now is, how can an uneducated individual be given so much responsibility? Technicians are granted these responsibilities because a pharmacist can not do the job alone. Pharmacists strive to mold each new technician into an employee that will realize what technicians really do.
Giving out the wrong medication, or improper dosages can potentially be fatal to patients. Pharmacy technicians must be willing to take on this risk and do their work as carefully and accurately as possible.
Furthermore, short staffing affects the quality direct care each patient receives. The National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (2012) states an estimated 98,000 individuals die every year from medical errors in the United States. One out of many significant tasks nurses do within their scope of practice is medication administration. Research shows a relationship between short staffing on medication errors: the longer the hours nurses work, the higher the chances of medication errors (Garnett, 2008). (include definition of medication error) Administering medications requires knowledge of patient rights, pharmacological information on the drug, adverse effects, proper dosage calculations, and hospital protocols. When nurses are assigned more patients, they are pressured to give due medications on time. Sometimes due to hunger or fatigue, nurses give the wrong medication to the wrong patient (Frith, Anderson, Tseng, & Fong, 2012).
"Pharmacy Technicians." Occupational Outlook Handbook (2008): 1. Associates Programs Source. EBSCO. Web. 9 June 2010.
Different jobs available for the newcomers in the industry are fast declining. This is because they no longer serve as an appealing career opportunity for the newbies. But technology and healthcare are the two sectors that have been growing continuously. These sectors are offering new job opportunities and they tend to be more immune from offshoring or outsourcing effects. While working in the form of a pharmacy technician, an individual works under the supervision of a certified pharmacist. A pharmacy technician might
Pharmacy Technicians: A Specialized Discourse Community Overview of pharmacy technicians: Do they fit the criteria of a discourse group? When doctors prescribe medication for their patients, a local retail pharmacy is most likely to be utilized to fill the order. However, there is a growing population of older Americans that are no longer able to live independently and must reside in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. In order for this vulnerable population to receive their medications, a different kind of pharmacy is needed, these are known as LTC, long term care pharmacies. Within these specialized pharmacies there are highly trained employees called CPhTs, certified pharmacy technicians who are overseen by state licensed RPHs, otherwise known as pharmacists.
A pharmacy business operations manager is responsible for managing, implementing and designing pharmacy staff and operations, including formulary management, education and policy development. They also cover for the pharmacy’s director when they are unavailable. Other duties include participating in quality improvement programs, providing medication information to patients and staff, completing drug utilization reviews and implementing needed improvements.
What are the tasks of a pharmacist? A pharmacist has many jobs. For instance, a pharmacist is responsible for ‘advising patients about medicines”, given them instruction of when and how to take them, and dispensing the prescription to the customer (“What...
First, here is some important background information about Pharmacists. A Pharmacist is someone who is trained and licensed to distribute medicinal drugs and to advise on their use. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook Pharmacists do all of the following: "Fill prescriptions, verify proper amounts of medication to give to patients, check whether the prescription will interact negatively with other drugs that a patient is taking or conditions the patient has, instruct patients on how to and when to take a prescribed medicine, Advise patients on potential side effects they may experience from taking the medicine, Advise patients about general health topics, such as diet, exercise, managing stress, and on other issues, such as what equipment or supplies would be best for a health problem, Keep records and do other administrative tasks, Complete insurance forms and work with insurance companies to be sure that patients get the medicine they need, Teach other healthcare practitioners about proper medication therapies for patients, and lastly oversee the work of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists training."() Some pharmacists participate in compounding, where they create medications by mixing ingredients themselves. Pharmacists tha...
Most states, especially Louisiana, has a ratio 3:1; three licensed technicians, two licensed technicians and one permitted technician or two licensed technicians and one pharmacy student intern to one licensed pharmacists. Pharmacists can work in hospitals, retail pharmacies, independent pharmacies, clinics or Health Management Organization...
I carried out numerous tasks but was supervised by a pharmacist including: 21 shelving new orders of drugs in correct place in alphabetical order, I was given the 22 responsibility of finding medicines on the prescriptions, which was then checked by the 23 pharmacist. Also I learnt how to dispose expired, or unwanted drugs from the patients. This 24 placement has made me committed to study pharmacy, as I felt it was the right career for me
Since I have always shown interest in helping people, this career will be perfect because I can advise patients on medications to better their health. To become a pharmacist, I first need to pass the first two years of my pre-pharmacy work here at STLCOP. This will allow me to advance to the professional classes. Once I am able to pass my 6-year classes, I must take a license exam to obtain my pharmacy license (about.com). Pharmacists have very good job outlooks because they make a high salary with many benefits.
Moreover, like other pharmacists, I chose pharmacy as good career choice because of just one purpose is to help people get well. Pharmacists play an important role in helping patients feel better as quick as possible. The empathy motivates us to focus on our job so we can give the best medicines to the patients to improve their health. Communicating with patients nicely will make them feel respected and not isolated of being sick; it also makes clients understand clearer about the drug direction, helping to avoid side effects. To communicate nicely with hundreds of people every day, we need to have patience to talk to ungraceful customers or to explain something many times without being
Firstly, the main role of a pharmacist is to dispense medicines to their patients according to the prescription given. Before this, they have to ensure that they delivering the right drug, the strength and dosage of the medicine are appropriate, as well as ensuring the medication is safety and can work effectively in the human body. (Swanson, 2005)