Pharmacy technician is a job title for a pharmacy staff member “who works under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist, and performs many pharmacy-related functions.” In most cases, job duties include providing medication and other health care products to patients, as well as working with third party and doctors’ offices in resolving adjudication of patients’ insurance or state program. Pharmacy technicians often do the routine tasks associated with preparing prescribed medication and providing drugs to patients, but may also do compounding of medications, verbal prescriptions and doctor calls, expense and medication orders, returns and expired credits, and non-licensed pharmacy management. Licensed pharmacists check all medications before they go to the patient, and only pharmacists may counsel patients on the proper use of medications.
In the UK however, training and continuing professional development is such that pharmacy technicians are qualified to counsel patients on their medication and indeed specialist technicians participate in the running of anticoagulant clinics, dosing warfarin patients under dose banding guidance.
As their role expands, pharmacy technician career opportunities increase, and the outlook for employment in the field is very strong. In the United States, Pharmacy technician are required to take formal pharmacy training programs and take the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam, which verifies that the pharmacy technician has met an acceptable standard of pharmaceutical knowledge. A certified technician needs to be re-certified every two years and must complete a certain number of training hours to be eligible.
Nature of work
Pharmacy technicians help licensed Pharmacists provide medication and other health care products to patients. Technicians usually perform routine tasks to help prepare prescribed medication, such as counting tablets and labeling bottles. They also perform administrative duties, such as answering phones, stocking shelves, and operating cash registers. Technicians refer any questions regarding prescriptions, drug information, or health matters to a pharmacist.
Work Environment
Pharmacy technicians work in clean, organized, well-lighted, and well-ventilated areas. Most of their workday is spent on their feet. They may be required to lift heavy boxes or to use stepladders to retrieve supplies from high shelves. Technicians work the same hours that Pharmacists work. These may include evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays, particularly in facilities that are open 24 hours a day such as hospitals and some retail pharmacies. As their seniority increases, technicians often acquire increased control over the hours they work. There are many opportunities for part-time work in both retail and hospital settings.
Median hourly earnings of wage-and-salary pharmacy technicians in May 2006 were $12.32. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.10 and $14.92. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.56, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $17.65. Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of pharmacy technicians in May 2006 were:
| General medical and surgical hospitals | $13.86 |
| Grocery stores | 12.78 |
| Pharmacies and drug stores | 11.50 |
Certified technicians may earn more. Shift differentials for working evenings or weekends also can increase earnings. Some technicians belong to unions representing hospital or grocery store workers.
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sources:
Wikipedia
Bureau of Labor Statistics