What are the duties of a pharmacy technician? What is the role of pharmacy technicians?
A Pharmacy technician is a health care provider who performs pharmacy related functions, working collaboratively with a licensed pharmacist to ensure patients receive premium care. Pharmacy technicians are not Pharmacists because they do not have the requisite medical training to give medical advice to patients unlike pharmacists.
A Pharmacy Technician’s education comprises of either an Associate’s degree in Pharmacy or a full four year college degree as a Pharmacy Technician as well as internship to gain clinical experience. Training, Certification and Licensing of Pharmacy Technicians vary from country to country and most times Re-certification is required for Pharmacy Technicians to continue to practice.
A Pharmacy Technician’s job description comprises majorly of two areas; Using their technical skills for handling medication and Customer Service. They work in several workplaces like Hospitals, Community Pharmacies, Primary care, Pharmaceutical production or sales in the Pharmaceutical industry, education and out-patient Pharmacies.
The duties of a Pharmacy technician generally involve the day to day running of the Pharmacy while ensuring safety and smoothness of operations carried out. However, the duties of a Pharmacy Technician may vary depending on the work place, a Pharmacy technician working in retail/Community pharmacy does not have exactly the same duties as Pharmacy Technicians who work in Hospitals or in-patient institutions.
Duties of Pharmacy Technicians in Community Pharmacies and retail/out-patient Pharmacies include;
👉Making sure prescriptions are filled
👉Managing your file in their database
👉Medication reconciliation
👉Referring you to a Pharmacist for further counsel where necessary
👉Detailed instruction and sometime advice on how to use over-the-counter, OTC drugs
👉Creating bottle and box labels
👉Ensuring the efficiency and safety of Pharmaceutical operations
👉Answering questions on illnesses or health conditions
👉Performing basic cashier duties
Duties of Pharmacy Technicians In Hospitals
In places such as Hospitals, Pharmacy Technicians perform a slightly different job functions than their colleagues in community pharmacies. In community pharmacies, there is direct contact between Pharmacy Technicians and patients while in Hospitals there is little to no contact between Pharmacy Technicians and patients. Communication is majorly between Nurses or Physicians and is carried out using pneumatic-tube system or electronically.
Pharmacy Technicians may also be required to make IV’s which requires special training in aseptic techniques (to prevent the contamination of IV’s) and clean room procedures. They may also carryout simple billing and inventory. Pharmancy technicians are permitted by law to run hospital dispensaries.
A Pharmacy Technician may only perform tasks which do not require professional judgment and which are subject to verification to assist a Pharmacist in the practice of Pharmacy.
Olayinka Shyllon
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