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Depending on if the tech is working in a retail or hospital setting, the duties greatly vary.

Retail techs will meet customers, need to read the medical terminology on the prescription. Input data into the computer to fill prescriptions, call the Doctor's offices and Insurance companies if problems occur. Order medications from the drug wholesaler, unpack and put away the orders, filing, cashier work, and whatever the Pharmacist tells you to do.

Hospital duties involve all the above (except meeting customers and cashier work), plus learning to compound intravenous fluids, including chemotherapeutic drugs. Billing, working with many various unit-dosing machines and maintaining and filling computerized dispensing machines, (like Pyxis). Hospital techs also sometimes compound oral liquids, creams, suppositories.

Mail order Pharmacy techs do a lot of shipping of medications (obviously), and maintenance of the machines that do the dispensing.

Nuclear Pharmacy involves a high level of Sterile compounding.

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Q: Duties that are often performed by the pharmacy technicians include?
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What does a pharmacy techncian do?

Pharmacy technicians help licensed pharmacists prepare prescription medications, provide customer service, and perform administrative duties within a pharmacy setting.For more detailed information, click on the related links (U.S. Department of Labor) indicated directly below this answer.


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What are the job duties of California pharmacy technicians?

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Becoming a Pharmacy Technician?

A pharmacy technician is responsible for helping licensed pharmacists and performing a variety of job duties within the pharmacy. For example, a pharmacy technician may count pills, label medication bottles and assist in the general preparation of medications. Pharmacy technicians may also perform administrative duties such as answering phones, operating cash registers and assisting patients. Pharmacy technicians might be required to fill out health insurance paperwork in addition to their other duties.They may work in retail stores, stand-alone pharmacies or hospitals. Some pharmacy technicians receive their training on the job, but other pharmacy technicians receive postsecondary training in community colleges or career schools.Many employers may prefer job candidates who have graduated from an accredited course in pharmacy technician training. Typical courses in a pharmacy technician program include pharmaceutical techniques, pharmacy recordkeeping, pharmaceutical and medical terminology, and pharmacy ethics and law.A program in a pharmacy technology would typically lead to an associate’s degree or career diploma, depending on the length of the program and the type of school the aspiring pharmacy technician attends. Pharmacy technician programs usually last between six months and two years. In contrast, on-the-job training may take between three months to a year.Those enrolled in a pharmacy technician program are also required to complete an internship in the field. Interns receive hands-on experience within the workplace. They serve as interns at pharmacies in order to gain real-world experience from licensed pharmacists and experienced pharmacy technicians. Under the supervision of experienced workers, they learn to properly dispense medications and perform typical job duties within the pharmacy.New pharmacy technicians may also choose to receive certification by completing a national exam created by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) or the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT). This may enable them to appear more desirable to employers who are seeking entry-level pharmacy technicians. Pharmacy techs must apply for recertification every two years. The majority of states in the US also require that pharmacy technicians register with the State board of pharmacy.Working as a pharmacy technician allows a person to work in pharmacies under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians must be detail-oriented and feel comfortable working with other medical professionals. They must also possess the ability to offer exemplary customer service to patients. Whether you receive on-the-job training or attend a school that offers a pharmacy technician program, you will work in a career that positively affects the health of people in your community.


What is the difference between a pharmacy tech 1 and a pharmacy tech 2?

A Pharmacy Tech 1 preforms basic duties. A Pharmacy Tech 2 has more experience and preforms more advanced duties such as record keeping and training.


Are pharmacy techs in high demand?

The healthcare industry is one of the growing industry out there and it is one of the in demand fields. Another thing that it has a need for are workers to satisfy everyone's need.The following is written by and according to the U.S. Department of Labor and particular to the job outlook for pharmacy technicians.Employment is expected to increase much faster than the average through 2016, and job opportunities are expected to be good.Employment change. Employment of pharmacy technicians is expected to increase by 32 percent from 2006 to 2016, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. The increased number of middle-aged and elderly people-who use more prescription drugs than younger people-will spur demand for technicians throughout the projection period. In addition, as scientific advances bring treatments for an increasing number of conditions, more pharmacy technicians will be needed to fill a growing number of prescriptions.As cost-conscious insurers begin to use pharmacies as patient-care centers, pharmacy technicians will assume responsibility for some of the more routine tasks previously performed by Pharmacists. In addition, they will adopt some of the administrative duties that were previously performed by pharmacy aides, such as answering phones and stocking shelves.Reducing the need for pharmacy technicians to some degree, however, will be the growing use of drug dispensing machines. These machines increase productivity by completing some of the pharmacy technician's duties, namely counting pills and placing them into prescription containers. These machines are only used for the most common medications, however, and their effect on employment should be minimal.Almost all States have legislated the maximum number of technicians who can safely work under a pharmacist at one time. Changes in these laws could directly affect employment.Job prospects. Good job opportunities are expected for full-time and part-time work, especially for technicians with formal training or previous experience. Job openings for pharmacy technicians will result from employment growth, and from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.For the source and more detailed information concerning your request, click on the related links section (U.S. Department of Labor) indicated directly below this answer section.


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Pharmacy Technician?

Working with a pharmacist, the pharmacy technician plays an important role. In most pharmacies, the tasks of receiving prescription requests, counting tablets, and labeling bottles, falls to the pharmacy technician. In some pharmacies, clerical duties may be the technician’s responsibility. He or she may answer the phone, stock the shelves, and operate the cash register. The duties of the pharmacy technician are regulated by each state. Quite popular today are mail-in pharmacies, and technicians employed by these agencies sometimes have an assortment of duties. Once they receive the written or electronic prescription request, they must confirm that the information is correct. They often count, weigh, and measure the correct amount of medication. Prescription labels are often prepared by pharmacy technicians. Record keeping duties may be assigned to the technician. In almost every instance, a registered pharmacist is responsible for verifying that the prescription is correctly filled and labeled. While there currently exist no standard training requirements for pharmacy technicians, many employers require at minimum a high school diploma. Many employers prefer to hire technicians with at least some education beyond high school. A variety of schools offer certificates in the field of pharmacy technician. Community colleges may offer an Associate’s degree. The certificated courses can usually be completed in three to nine months, while an Associate’s degree typically takes two years to complete. Certification is not currently required by any state, but several private organizations offer certifications. While this certification is not a criterion for employment, some employers may look favorably upon the applicant holding a certificate. Without any formal education, experience working with customers, using a cash register, and using a computer are essential skills. The large majority of pharmacy technicians work in retail stores. Hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation clinics provide employment for about 25% of the pharmacy technicians. The demand for this profession is expected to continue to rise for several years. The average hourly salary for a pharmacy technician is about $13.00. Working hours for these technicians are usually stable, and even in retail settings, a normal work week is about 40 hours. Overtime hours are not common.


Career Prospects of Pharmacy Technicians?

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What is the difference between a pharmacy technician and a pharmacy aide?

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Is it hard to be a pharmacy tech?

Depending on the location of the company you work with, the difficulty of the job may vary. There are some pharmacies wherein you have to work very hard as there are a lot of people every time (like working in the city) compared to other places wherein there aren't that much people you have to work with on the daily basis (places away from the city)