A pharmacy technician refers to a member of the pharmacy staff who is working under the guidance of a registered pharmacist, and is in-charge of doing pharmacy-related tasks like giving medication and providing patients with health care products and services. To be qualified to work in this industry, one must have the necessary qualities, and must undergo proper pharmacy technician training in a duly licensed pharmacy tech school.
The main duty of a pharmacy technician is to aid registered pharmacists in providing patients with medicine and health care products. They are also generally involved with assisting in arrangement of prescribed medication, counting medicine stocks and applying labels. They can also deal with customer inquiries and other operations of the pharmacy.
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.
Pharmacy technicians may be required to perform supplementary tasks when working in a hospital or nursing home; tasks can include assessment of patient records as well as medicine preparation. The prescription will now undergo verification by the pharmacist, and afterwards will require delivery and administration by the technician. They will also make sure that all important details about it are recorded. They can even be required to ensure a constant supply of medicine for patients 24-7.
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 lot of pharmacy technicians engage in an on-the-job training before working, but formal pharmacy technician training programs are also available. Certified technicians are usually given priority, but that doesn't mean those who are not certified perform less effectively. In the US, there isn't any clear Federal law which covers the matter of requiring technicians to acquire certification before working.
As with regular education programs, formal pharmacy technician training will require classroom and laboratory hours and be educated properly about pharmaceutical and medical terms, as well as its recording, calculations, techniques, laws and ethics. It is also paramount that they have a good understanding of medicine names, its attributes and safe dosage. The program will also have internships, which can provide students with vital experience and exposure in the field. After going through the training, a diploma, certificate or associate's degree can be granted by the pharmacy tech school to a student, whichever is appropriate.
To have a better chance of success in this industry, one must posses great skills in customer support and working with a group because they will be interacting with patients, professionals and co-workers most of the time. They will also benefit from having a good foundation in reading, spelling and mathematics. It is important that a technician is very observant, can work with initiative, responsible, organized, alert and has passion for work. Equally important is having precision in skills and actions since we are dealing with human lives here, and we can't compromise anything.
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 main duty of a pharmacy technician is to aid registered pharmacists in providing patients with medicine and health care products. They are also generally involved with assisting in arrangement of prescribed medication, counting medicine stocks and applying labels. They can also deal with customer inquiries and other operations of the pharmacy.
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.
Pharmacy technicians may be required to perform supplementary tasks when working in a hospital or nursing home; tasks can include assessment of patient records as well as medicine preparation. The prescription will now undergo verification by the pharmacist, and afterwards will require delivery and administration by the technician. They will also make sure that all important details about it are recorded. They can even be required to ensure a constant supply of medicine for patients 24-7.
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 lot of pharmacy technicians engage in an on-the-job training before working, but formal pharmacy technician training programs are also available. Certified technicians are usually given priority, but that doesn't mean those who are not certified perform less effectively. In the US, there isn't any clear Federal law which covers the matter of requiring technicians to acquire certification before working.
As with regular education programs, formal pharmacy technician training will require classroom and laboratory hours and be educated properly about pharmaceutical and medical terms, as well as its recording, calculations, techniques, laws and ethics. It is also paramount that they have a good understanding of medicine names, its attributes and safe dosage. The program will also have internships, which can provide students with vital experience and exposure in the field. After going through the training, a diploma, certificate or associate's degree can be granted by the pharmacy tech school to a student, whichever is appropriate.
To have a better chance of success in this industry, one must posses great skills in customer support and working with a group because they will be interacting with patients, professionals and co-workers most of the time. They will also benefit from having a good foundation in reading, spelling and mathematics. It is important that a technician is very observant, can work with initiative, responsible, organized, alert and has passion for work. Equally important is having precision in skills and actions since we are dealing with human lives here, and we can't compromise anything.
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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