What Would I do As a Pharmacy Technician?
Healthcare is among the top performing industries in the country1, and jobs for the sector are expected to grow through 2022.2 If the idea of a healthcare career entices you, but you thought you’d need to spend years in school, think again! You could train to become a pharmacy technician in as little as 10 months.3 Pharmacy technicians are respected healthcare professionals who serve an important role in the healthcare field. Once you’re working in the profession, here are some of the responsibilities you might have:
Assist the pharmacist. Pharmacists usually spend six years in college learning their profession, but they also rely on pharmacy technicians to help them do their jobs well. As a pharmacy tech, you would work under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist, helping them serve patients and physicians.
Work directly with patients: You will have a great deal of patient interaction. You’ll obtain medical information from patients, answer questions and provide their medications. It will also be your responsibility to direct patients to the pharmacist with concerns you are unable to address.
Maintain medical records: Did you know that electronic medical records help to save lives?4 By maintaining precise and accurate medical records, you could help ensure that physicians are aware of all the medications their patients take. This way, doctors can avoid prescribing medications that may negatively interact with what a patient is already taking. Adverse drug interactions can cause patient harm and even death. As a pharmacy technician, maintenance and review of patient records will be one of your primary responsibilities.
Prepare and label medications. Mixing and preparing IV solutions, nutrients, medications, and other pharmaceuticals will be another important part of your job. You’d need to accurately package and label prescription medications and, depending on where you work, you might be required to deliver them to patients, nursing stations, or surgical teams.
Maintain inventory. You don’t want to run out of medications or medical supplies. That’s why it would be important to take regular inventory and order supplies as needed. You’d also need to adhere to strict storage and security measures to keep medications and patients safe.
Handle insurance claims. Most prescription medications are covered by some kind of medical insurance that requires precise submission for reimbursement. You’d need to understand how to file claims, process transactions, compute charges and conduct payment transactions with patients.
Pharmacy technicians are busy, detailed-oriented people who like working with the public. Does this sound like you? If you want a career in healthcare, learn more about the pharmacy technician program at American National University. In addition to teaching you the fundamentals of the profession, we’ll help you prepare for and take the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) exam through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). Are you ready for a new career? To speak with an admissions representative, call today at 833-388-1100.
For more information on program costs, graduation rates, and placement rates for this program – please see our website: https://www.an.edu/programs-info/gedt/_dynamic.lasso?pCd=PTH
1 http://www.marketwatch.com/tools/industry/
2 http://www.nasrecruitment.com/uploads/files/healthcare-workforce-outlook-to-2022-72.pdf
3 https://www.an.edu/programs/pharmacy-technician/#prettyPhoto/0/
4 http://www.practicefusion.com/pages/pr/survey-emr-improves-quality-of-care.html
