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A pharmacy technician is a person who is a member of the pharmacy crew and works under the control of a certified pharmacist. He is responsible for helping the pharmacist do related work which usually includes providing medication and health care products to patients. Before an individual can work as a pharmacy technician, he must receive qualified pharmacy technician training from a legitimate pharmacy tech school, not to mention having other important qualities in order to work efficiently as one.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.