When you pay attention to what goes on behind the pharmacy counter at your local drugstore, you may be impressed by how carefully and diligently pharmacists and pharmacy technicians prepare prescription orders. They work among neat rows of clearly labeled bottles, boxes, and jars, and they double-check everything they do. Life-saving medicines and healing compounds pass through their hands, and they positively affect many lives in their community through their work. The Praxis Institute offers healthcare training in the Miami, FL, area, including a pharmacy technician program. Here, we provide insight into the pharmacy technician profession.
Job Duties for Pharmacy Technicians
You may think you know what pharmacy technicians do at work, but there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. They’re trained to work under the supervision of a pharmacist, so they follow instructions and assist in preparing prescriptions for customers. Often utilizing automation, this work involves carefully identifying, counting, and measuring medications, assuring that all are at the proper dosages and amounts. With special training, they may compound, or mix, some of the drugs prescribed. They also track inventory and help with ordering, so the pharmacy is properly stocked.
But they aren’t just working with medications – pharmacy technicians also work with customers, patients, and medical offices. When doctors prescribe medications, these orders are called in or faxed to a pharmacy. The pharmacy technician must collect the information accurately so the patient can receive the right medicine. Customer service is another important part of the job, and those who come into a retail drugstore often have questions about the medications they receive, even about the over-the-counter medications they plan to purchase. Pharmacy technicians help these customers meet with a pharmacist with these types of questions. And when people come to collect their prescriptions, the pharmacy technician checks identification and insurance information to ensure bills can be processed and payments are made.
As you can see, quite a bit of personal information is tracked at a pharmacy, and the technicians are required to be accurate. Examples of privileged information that must be kept strictly confidential include:
- Patient names
- Dates
- Prescription details
- Insurance information
- Other facts
Pharmacy technicians must understand the legal responsibilities inherent in their position at a pharmacy. For those who work in hospitals or clinics, duties may be expanded to include mixing intravenous drugs or even making medication rounds for patients staying in the hospital.
Job Outlook for Pharmacy Technicians
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a 5% growth in employment for pharmacy technicians through 2031, adding about 43,500 new jobs every year. With an aging population, there is more demand placed on the healthcare system. This results in more prescriptions and a greater need for medications. And because there are more patients to take care of, healthcare professionals, such as pharmacists, are required to provide more direct patient care. For example, pharmacists commonly distribute immunizations to the general public, such as flu shots.
Pharmacy technicians greatly assist in these activities by taking on some duties that are usually handled by pharmacists. So, throughout the healthcare sector, team members are being asked to take on increased responsibilities to meet current needs – and this includes pharmacy technicians.
Career Preparation in Our Pharmacy Technician Program
In the pharmacy technician program at The Praxis Institute, students earn a diploma. We offer a rolling enrollment schedule, so there are no significant wait times for new students to start the program. We are accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), as well as the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
Graduates can take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE). Successful completion of this exam qualifies pharmacy technicians for certification and registration. Our students can also receive specialized training in compounded sterile preparation, which can accelerate their ability to become certified and registered in this sub-specialty.
Apply to the Pharmacy Technician Program at The Praxis Institute
The pharmacy technician program offers schedule flexibility and excellent instruction for students in the Miami, FL, area. The Praxis Institute provides thorough training to help ensure our graduates are confident in their skills as pharmacy technicians. The career services department is dedicated to helping graduates find entry-level positions, as they start a valuable career in healthcare. To begin your journey as a professional where you’ll have the opportunity to help people in your community every day, contact us for more information.
