Pharmacy Tech School: Become A Pharmacy Technician In No Time!

By Zoe Sharon

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 primary job of pharmacy technicians is to assist licensed pharmacists in administering patients with medication and health care products. They are also regularly responsible for helping in the preparation of prescribed medication, inventory of medicine and labeling them. They can also be tasked with customer support and other related pharmacy operations.

Pharmacy technicians can either work in retail or mail-order pharmacies, in which will involve different duties and responsibilities, depending on the state they are in and the regulations that apply. When they are sent prescriptions from the doctor's office, they must review the prescription for completeness and accuracy before preparing it. They will then prepare the prescription by acquiring the particular medication, preparing exact measurements and dosages of the medicine and may also mix them.

In a hospital or nursing home setting, pharmacy technicians may be tasked with extra duties like reviewing patient's records and medicine preparation. Once a pharmacist verifies the accuracy of a prescription, the technician will be the one to deliver it to the patient. He will then record pertinent information in the records of the patient. They can also be tasked with supplying medication for patients in a 24-hour period.

A great thing about being a pharmacy technician is that you are working in a safe, well-organized and clean environment with efficient ventilation and lighting. A pharmacy technician's work involves physical and mental tasks, and one must be in excellent health for this matter. They will generally work in identical hours with a pharmacist; include working on nightly shifts, even on weekends and holidays, particularly on hospitals and other facilities which are open on a 24-hour period.

Majority of pharmacy technicians receive on-the-job training, but can also undergo formal pharmacy technician training at a licensed pharmacy tech school although technicians that undergo formal training are more preferred by employers. In the US, there are presently little or no Federal laws regarding pharmacy technicians being required to undergo formal training or receive certification before working.

Formal pharmacy technician training, like regular education programs, will involve classroom and laboratory work, study in different areas like pharmaceutical and medical terms, calculations, recording, techniques, pharmacy law and ethics. They will also need to become well-versed in medicine names, its functions and proper dosage. Most pharmacy technician training programs have internships in order for them to have an actual experience in their field. Once they complete their training, the pharmacy tech school will be able to award them with a certificate, diploma or an associate's degree, all of which will depend on the type of program they undergo.

In order to perform well in the pharmaceutical technology industry, a technician must have sound customer service and teamwork skills since they will be interacting with patients, professionals and co-workers a lot. They will also need strong reading, spelling and mathematical skills which they will need regularly in their work. A good pharmacy technician is keen with details, can work independently, responsible, organized, alert and dedicated in his work. Another very important characteristic of a pharmacy technician is being precise in his actions since the work involves health and lives of human beings and can't afford being reckless as there can be life and death situations he may be involved in.

The role of pharmacy technicians is expected to expand and diversify in the next few years since duties of pharmacists are also increasing, and they are more in need of assistants to help them perform related duties. Pharmacy technicians are capable of earning a decent salary, with those who are certified are most likely to receive more. This is why it is a good idea to look for a reputable pharmacy tech school and undergo proper pharmacy technician training in order to get the most out of your chosen career.

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