Saturday, March 9, 2013

The Must-Have Traits of a Pharmacy Technician


Job opportunities for pharmacy technicians are increasing. The reason for this is that pharmaceutical services are expanding and scientific advancements are continuing. Also, pharmacists are having a more active role in providing direct patient care. As a result, pharmacy techs are taking over some of the duties performed by pharmacists. However, they will still work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. Another reason pharmacy tech career is booming is the fact that people in the US are living longer resulting in an increasing demand for health care services. And because many companies are exploring new medical treatments, pharmacists need qualified technicians to assist them in handling some of their obligations. If you are considering a career as a PT, you should strongly consider certification.

Required traits

Not all individuals can work as a pharmacy technician. There are certain skills required to get a job in this position. The following are the required traits you must have to qualify for this position:

-Excellent communication skills

-A team player

-Can follow exact directions easily

-Highly organized

-Mentally alert

-Physically fit

-Able to interact with different types of people

-Compassionate with the health care needs of the patients

How to work as a pharmacy tech?

Job opportunities are high if you have obtained formal training and certification. If you are really interested to pursue a career in this field, you should have an experience in this area. You should improve your written and verbal communication skills. Your mathematics skills should be strong enough for pharmacy computations. It is also ideal to obtain health related courses.

Understanding the duties required

-Receiving prescription requests

-Labeling bottles

-Counting bottles

You are also tasked to deliver the requested medicine after the licensed pharmacist has already checked its accuracy. Apart from that, you are also required to keep patients' records, maintain storage of stock and perform other administrative duties.

Required Training

The career of pharmacy technicians is very lucrative. However, those who underwent formal training are the ones who can enjoy higher salary rates. A formal education program for PT's can be taken within 2 years. The education training programs will cover subject areas such as:

-Pharmaceutical calculations

-Pharmaceutical record-keeping

-Pharmaceutical terminology

-Pharmacy law and ethics

-Pharmaceutical techniques

Depending on the school that offers pharmacy technician education programs, you can have the opportunity to gain actual experience working as a pharmacy technician.

In terms of work locations, pharmacy technicians work in a clean, safe environment. You can work in a retail or mail-order pharmacy, nursing homes, and assisted-living facilities. You can also apply to work in grocery stores and department stores that offer pharmacy-related services.

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