If you work as a pharmacy technician in a health care facility you may also have to read the patients’ charts to check the prescription and compare a current prescription with that of previous medication. In all cases, the pharmacist must check the medication before the technician delivers it to the patient. The work environment for this job is always in a well-lit pharmacy that may also sell a wide range of products, such as toys, toiletries and food. However, the technician and the pharmacist work in one designated area of the facility, even though they may check in other things through the cash register besides the filled prescriptions.
A pharmacy technician can complete a two-year course at a technical or vocational college in order to achieve the requirements for this position. While it is possible to have all the training on the job, most employers are looking for technicians to fill the vacant job openings who have some formal education in this area. One important component of the training is a work term in a pharmacy, where as a student technician you will spend time working at all the tasks under the supervision of an experienced technician and pharmacist.
You will need to know to have a course in medical and pharmaceutical terminology as a pharmacy assistant. This is because you will need to know the proper medical terms for the various types of medication, what each one is used for and the proper dosages of each one. In addition, you will also need to have knowledge of pharmacy law and ethics, the principles of pharmacy and the proper techniques of recordkeeping.
While it is completely up to you whether you become a certified pharmacy technician in some parts of the country, there are states where this is a requirement for working in this job. You can receive a national certification from two organizations - the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board and the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians. You will have to meet the requirements for your state and pass the appropriate examinations. These certificates are valid for two years only and in order to be recertified you must have twenty hours of continuing education.
In addition, to the educational requirements, in this type of work, you must have strong customer service skills as you will be dealing with many different groups of people on a daily basis. You must also be alert on the job and pay attention to details.
