A pharmacy technician is a pharmacy staff member who performs pharmacy-related work under direct supervision from a registered pharmacist and is tasked with duties like administering medication and furnishing patients with their needed health care products and services. In order to be an accomplished technician, a person must have important traits and receive competent pharmacy technician training from a duly authorized pharmacy tech school.
The principal responsibility of a pharmacy technician is to help licensed pharmacists in preparing medications for patients, as well as furnishing them with necessary health care products. They are also typically in-charge of medicine inventory and placing labels on them. Customer support can also be included in their work, as well as other clerical and pharmacy-related duties and responsibilities.
Pharmacy technicians may work in a pharmacy which has retail or mail-order setting, and will generally involve varying work that depends on the state they are currently in and the laws that govern it. They can be sent prescriptions by a doctor and will be required to study them to make sure they are accurate and complete before the prescription is assembled. After which they will now assemble the prescription while making sure they make precise measurements and dosage of the medication they are preparing.
When working in hospital or nursing home environment, pharmacy technicians may be required to perform additional work like analysis of patient records and preparing of medication. Upon verification of a prescription by the pharmacist, it will now be up to the technician to bring it to the patient, after which he will take down a log of the important details in administering the medicine. They also make sure that patients have a 24-hour supply of their needed medication.
One of the advantages of being a pharmacy technician is its work environment; clean, well-organized, has excellent ventilation and lighting. An individual must be physically and mentally fit to efficiently perform their tasks and responsibilities. Working hours can have graveyard shifts, and working days can include weekends or holidays, especially on hospitals and other similar establishments that are open 24-hours a day.
A great number of pharmacy technicians usually partake in an on-the-job training, and some prefer getting an official pharmacy technician training from a competent pharmacy tech school. Those getting formal training are much more preferred by employers who have insufficient resources to give training. In the United States, there is currently just a minor or no Federal laws governing certification of pharmacy technicians prior to getting work.
An official pharmacy technician training will generally include classroom and laboratory sessions, just like in other educational courses. They will be given proper training in pharmaceutical and medical terminologies, recording, calculations, pharmacy law, ethics and techniques. The training will also require them to be adept with names of medicines, their use and right dosage. Pharmacy technician training programs will usually include internships to give individuals a chance to apply what they have learned in a real work environment. Upon completion of the program, they can be given a diploma, certificate or associate's degree by the pharmacy tech school, whichever is applicable.
One of the important skills needed to survive in this industry are customer service and ability to work as a team with other people. You will be mingling a lot with patients, working with professionals and co-workers and it is necessary to have good relationships with them. Having excellent reading, spelling and mathematical skills will also help you greatly in this job too. A good pharmacy technician is able to work independently, has a keen eye, organized, responsible, alert and loves what he does. Probably the most important trait needed here is precision since you are taking care of the lives and health of patients and you can't afford to make mistakes.
Opportunities for pharmacy technicians are growing each day as the demand for people to assist pharmacists in their ever-expanding duties also grows. Pharmacy technicians can have rewarding financial benefits, much more with those who get proper certification. For this reason, it is suggested that you seek out a good pharmacy tech school and engage in a formal pharmacy technician training before taking the job on.
The principal responsibility of a pharmacy technician is to help licensed pharmacists in preparing medications for patients, as well as furnishing them with necessary health care products. They are also typically in-charge of medicine inventory and placing labels on them. Customer support can also be included in their work, as well as other clerical and pharmacy-related duties and responsibilities.
Pharmacy technicians may work in a pharmacy which has retail or mail-order setting, and will generally involve varying work that depends on the state they are currently in and the laws that govern it. They can be sent prescriptions by a doctor and will be required to study them to make sure they are accurate and complete before the prescription is assembled. After which they will now assemble the prescription while making sure they make precise measurements and dosage of the medication they are preparing.
When working in hospital or nursing home environment, pharmacy technicians may be required to perform additional work like analysis of patient records and preparing of medication. Upon verification of a prescription by the pharmacist, it will now be up to the technician to bring it to the patient, after which he will take down a log of the important details in administering the medicine. They also make sure that patients have a 24-hour supply of their needed medication.
One of the advantages of being a pharmacy technician is its work environment; clean, well-organized, has excellent ventilation and lighting. An individual must be physically and mentally fit to efficiently perform their tasks and responsibilities. Working hours can have graveyard shifts, and working days can include weekends or holidays, especially on hospitals and other similar establishments that are open 24-hours a day.
A great number of pharmacy technicians usually partake in an on-the-job training, and some prefer getting an official pharmacy technician training from a competent pharmacy tech school. Those getting formal training are much more preferred by employers who have insufficient resources to give training. In the United States, there is currently just a minor or no Federal laws governing certification of pharmacy technicians prior to getting work.
An official pharmacy technician training will generally include classroom and laboratory sessions, just like in other educational courses. They will be given proper training in pharmaceutical and medical terminologies, recording, calculations, pharmacy law, ethics and techniques. The training will also require them to be adept with names of medicines, their use and right dosage. Pharmacy technician training programs will usually include internships to give individuals a chance to apply what they have learned in a real work environment. Upon completion of the program, they can be given a diploma, certificate or associate's degree by the pharmacy tech school, whichever is applicable.
One of the important skills needed to survive in this industry are customer service and ability to work as a team with other people. You will be mingling a lot with patients, working with professionals and co-workers and it is necessary to have good relationships with them. Having excellent reading, spelling and mathematical skills will also help you greatly in this job too. A good pharmacy technician is able to work independently, has a keen eye, organized, responsible, alert and loves what he does. Probably the most important trait needed here is precision since you are taking care of the lives and health of patients and you can't afford to make mistakes.
Opportunities for pharmacy technicians are growing each day as the demand for people to assist pharmacists in their ever-expanding duties also grows. Pharmacy technicians can have rewarding financial benefits, much more with those who get proper certification. For this reason, it is suggested that you seek out a good pharmacy tech school and engage in a formal pharmacy technician training before taking the job on.
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