Who is a Pharmacy Technician and how to become one?

Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals.

What are the duties of Pharmacy Technicians? Pharmacy technicians typically do the following:

• Collect information needed to provide a prescription from customers or health professionals
• Measure amounts of medication for prescriptions
• Package and label prescriptions
• Organize inventory and alert pharmacists of any shortages of medications or supplies
• Accept payment for prescriptions and process insurance claims
• Enter customer or patient information, including any prescriptions taken, into a computer system
• Answer phone calls from customers
• Make appointments for customers to speak with pharmacists if customers have questions about medications or health matters. 

Where can you find the best jobs as a Pharmacy technician?

• Hospital pharmacies
• Community pharmacies
• Long-term care pharmacies
• Insurance companies (third party)
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Research

Important Qualities for Pharmacy Technicians

Customer-service skills - Pharmacy technicians spend most of their time interacting with customers, so being helpful and polite is important for pharmacy technicians in a retail setting.

Detail-oriented - Serious health problems can result from mistakes in filling prescriptions. Although the pharmacist is responsible for ensuring the safety of all medications dispensed, pharmacy technicians should pay attention to detail so that complications are avoided.

Listening skills - Pharmacy technicians must communicate clearly with pharmacists and doctors when taking prescription orders. When speaking with customers, technicians must listen carefully to understand customers' needs and determine if they need to speak with a pharmacist.

Math skills. Pharmacy technicians need to have an understanding of the math concepts used in pharmacies when counting pills and compounding medications.

Organizational skills - Working as a pharmacy technician involves balancing a variety of responsibilities. Pharmacy technicians need good organizational skills to complete the work delegated by pharmacists while at the same time providing service to customers or patients.