Pharmacy Technician Resources

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Background

• Pharmacy technicians are an integral part of pharmacy practice today. By performing many of the non-judgmental tasks in processing prescriptions, they allow pharmacists the freedom to counsel patients and interact with other health care providers.
• Pharmacy technicians and assistants help licensed pharmacists provide medication and other health care products to patients. Pharmacy technicians usually perform routine tasks to help prepare prescribed medication for patients, such as counting and labeling. A pharmacist must check every prescription before it can be given to a patient.
• Pharmacy technicians refer any questions regarding prescriptions, drug information, or health matters to a pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians are expected to have a broad knowledge of pharmacy practice and be skilled in the techniques required to order, stock, package, and dispense medications.
• However, Pharmacy technicians must also have a working understanding of the laws and regulations that govern the dispensing of medications.
• The pharmacy technician shall be aware of confidentiality issues.

Pharmacy Technician Employment Job Titles

1. Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT or CPT)
2. Registered Pharmacy Technician
3. Pharmacist Assistant
4. Pharmacist Technician
5. Pharmacy Laboratory Technician
6. Pharmacy Technician
7. Pharmacy Technologist
8. Senior Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy Technician Training

• Pharmacy technician training are available through pharmacy schools, community colleges, hospital, military, career colleges, vocational colleges, pharmacy associations, employers, or through a variety of online course training programs.
• Formal training or education is not required in most states training or education of pharmacy technicians. Moreover, there are NO Federal requirements.
• Formal pharmacy technician education programs, however, emphasize dedication to profession of pharmacy to potential employers.
• Formal training is recommended especially if prospective pharmacy technician has no on the job training.
• Formal training is also recommmended to prospective pharmacy school applicants for experience and to strengthen pharmacy application since admission to pharmacy school is competitive.

The formal educational programs of technician of pharmacy require the work of classroom and laboratory in a series of sectors, including the medical and pharmaceutical terminology, pharmaceutical calculations, the conservation record of pharmacy, the techniques pharmaceutical, and the law and the ethics of pharmacy. Technicians are also necessary to learn from the names, the actions, the uses, and the amounts of drug. Many training programs include the clerkship or the boarding schools, where the students acquire an experiment on the heap of real pharmacies. The students receive a diploma, the certificate, or a degree; associated, according to the program.

Prospective technicians of pharmacy with operation experiment in so much an assistance in a pharmacy of the community or to offer in a hospital can have an advantage. The employers also prefer applicants with the service to the customers and the qualifications of communication forts and test them to control inventories, to count, measure, and with helps; a computer. The technicians entering the field need the strong qualifications and of reading. A bottom in mathematics, chemistry, English, and medical education can also be salutary.

Pharmacy Technician Education

Pharmacy technician training programs entails classroom and practical laboratory work, including medical and pharmaceutical terminology, pharmaceutical calculations, pharmacy record keeping, pharmaceutical techniques, and pharmacy law and ethics. Pharmacy technicians are also required to learn medication names, actions, uses, and doses. Many training programs include clerkship or internships, where students gain hands-on experience in actual pharmacies. Students receive a diploma, certificate, or an associate degree, depending on the program.

Pharmacy Technician Duties

• Document information on patient profiles
• Maintain stock levels of medications and pharmaceutical supplies
• Type labels and fi ll prescriptions
• Answer the phone and assist the pharmacist
• Type and use the computer as well as prepackaging equipment
• Demonstrate knowledge of pharmaceuticals by generic and trade names
• Know the metric and apothecary systems and convert from one system to the other
• Be very proficient in math
• Know the general classes of medications and what drugs belong to these classes

Pharmacy Technician Certification

• Most state board of pharmacy do not require pharmacy technician certification for pharmacy technician registration, however, certification will strengthen resume for attaning a job.
• Pharmacy technician training schools prepare graduates to take the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam. Some training programs require student to take the certification exam as a part the curriculum.
• A certified technician needs to be re-certified every two years and must complete a certain number of training hours to be eligible.

Gateway to becoming a pharmacist

Prospective pharmacy student will gain tremendous pharmacy experience and knowledge prior to attending pharmacy school. Most pharmacy students do not have practical pharmacy experience other than reading about pharmacy settings. Additionally, by having an experience as pharmacy technician, pharmacy school applicant will increase chances of pharmacy school admission.