There is a wide range of potential pharmacy technician jobs available to qualified candidates. Most pharmacy technician jobs are found within four major industries: pharmaceutical, storefront pharmacies, hospitals, and long-term health care facilities. The role of a pharmacy technician is central to the creation and distribution of prescription medication and treatment plans.
A pharmacy technician must have either a university degree or a community college diploma in pharmacy. The pharmacy is responsible for the control and distribution of highly potent medication to patients. The actual doses and quantity are only released if the patient presents with a prescription or instructions from the doctor. The pharmacy technician is usually responsible for filling that prescription and ensuring that the pharmacist reviews the details for accuracy and completeness.
In order to qualify for pharmacy technician jobs, pharmacy education is mandatory. Pharmacy is a heavily licensed profession. As a result, no untrained staff can gain experience in a pharmacy. Most technician programs incorporate a period of work placement to allow students to gain the required experience.
Positions in the pharmaceutical industry for a pharmacy technician range from material distribution to working in a clinical trial operation. Anyone who is working with powerful drugs must be properly trained to reduce the risk of medication errors and sloppy record keeping. Accuracy and an immediate understanding of decision consequences are required for all these types of jobs. Many pharmaceutical companies check the course marks and references before hiring.
The pharmacists usually hire a pharmacy technician in a traditional pharmacy. Be prepared to provide your course transcripts and professional references. Customer service experience and good communication skills are a huge benefit to this type of job. Most of the time, this role requires interaction with the public.
Pharmacy technician jobs in hospitals usually include a criminal records check and may include random drug testing. If required, these items will be included in the employment contract. These types of roles are often shift based, with some roles permanent night shift.
Long-term facility jobs are typically day shift only, with a regular set of prescriptions that need to be filled multiple times a day. Record keeping and communication is critical in these jobs. Prescriptions change frequently as the health of the patient shift. The responsibility of the technician includes checking for cross medication side effects, due to the number of prescriptions that are required. Experience working in a long-term facility is a great benefit when applying for these types of roles.