Pharmacy technicians are responsible for performing various administrative and clerical tasks which assist licensed pharmacists in dispensing medication to patients. Some typical duties include answering phones, stocking shelves, counting tablets, and packaging and labeling prescription containers. Technicians also establish and maintain patient profiles, prepare insurance claim forms, accept doctor prescriptions, either electronically or via hard copy, and verify the information on them for completeness and accuracy. Technicians usually work very closely with pharmacists, and most work in retail pharmacies, although many work in grocery stores, department stores, hospitals, nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
Education, Certification, Licensing
Most states have no requirements for formal training or certification of pharmacy technicians; however, such qualifications make it significantly easier to become successfully employed in the profession. Pharmacy technician training programs are available from vocational or technical schools, community colleges, some hospitals, and the military. Most of these programs lead to a certificate or diploma and take less than a year to complete, although those leading to an associate’s degree are usually two years in duration.
Certification is voluntary in most states although the number of states requiring it is increasing. Some employers require hires to become certified within a specified period of time. The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board administers the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination, which, when passed, leads to the awarding of a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) designation. Another prominent certification exam (the ExCPT, or Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians) is offered by the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians. These certifications must be renewed every two years, and renewal requirements include 20 hours of continuing education within the two-year period.
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