Chapter 3
Pharmacy Settings for
Technicians
Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction
• Vocation of pharmacy technician
began as a clerk with minimal tasks
that related to understanding
medicines
• Each of America’s 50 states has not
standardized the qualifications and
job descriptions for the pharmacy
technician
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Introduction (continued)
• Each state’s Board of Pharmacy
determines what standards are and
how they must be met by technicians
• Technicians throughout the United
States will become respected as
pharmacy paraprofessionals
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• Historically, technicians have answered
to a variety of titles like the following:
– Pharmacy clerk
– Pharmacist assistant
– Pharmacy aid
– Pharmacy technician
– Pharmacy helper
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Historic Data (continued)
• Job responsibilities are billing,
ordering, stock clerk, typist, phone
receptionist, troubleshooter, cashier,
and errand runner
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Current Qualifications
• Each state has own Board of Pharmacy
overseen by the National Association
Boards of Pharmacy
• Board of Pharmacy registers technicians
and licenses pharmacists. Also provides
consumers with a way to complain or report
any problems or illegal actions they have
experienced in a pharmacy
• Board of Pharmacy reviews and updates
current rules and regulations pertaining
to pharmacy practice; expands use of
technicians in the pharmacy field
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Nonjudgmental Duties
• Technicians perform many types of
nonjudgmental duties
• Nonjudgmental means final approval
for any task completed in a pharmacy
setting; must be checked and approved
by a pharmacist
• Limits technicians from interpreting
scientific studies, counseling patients,
conferring with other medical personnel
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Inpatient Setting Requirements
• Inpatient pharmacy refers to hospitals
in which patients stay overnight or
longer, depending on the procedures
they require
• Inpatient pharmacies traditionally have
different types of stock than outpatient
pharmacies
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Inpatient Setting Requirements
• Stat (emergency) Orders–Technicians
must be able to react in a moment’s
notice when stat orders are received
• Stat doses are to be delivered within
15 minutes to the stations requesting
them (ER, OR, ICU, CCU)
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Inpatient Setting Requirements
• Inpatient pharmacy requires the
ability to prepare parenterals,
hyperalimentations, and chemotherapy
• Technicians are required to help the
pharmacist answer phones, prepare
first doses, load medication drawers
(24-hour supply), prepare unit dose
medications
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Inpatient Setting Requirements
• Two reasons for repackaging
medications:
– The drug companies do not have
the medication available in unit dose
– The hospital has chosen to prepare
its own medication for cost-saving
reasons
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Inpatient Setting Requirements
• Common job descriptions of inpatient
technicians: Refer to list and
descriptions on page 31
• Inventory technician, Robot filler, IV
technician, Chemotherapy technician,
Anticoagulant technician, Clinical
technician, Supervisory technician
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Outpatient Settings Requirements
• Outpatient pharmacy–difficult task
due to front-line interaction with
patients on a daily basis
• Job tests communication skills
and stress level
• High volume of interacting on the
telephone, taking in refill prescriptions,
answering insurance questions
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Outpatient Settings Requirements
• Computer skills are needed to access
patient information
• Stock must be ordered in a timely
manner
• Billing to insurance companies
and knowing the various rules,
regulations, and special codes
for each prescription is important
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Outpatient Settings Requirements
• Job descriptions of Outpatient
Technicians–refer to page 32
• Insurance billing technician, Retail
technician, Stock inventory technician,
Technician recruiter, and Technician
trainer
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Home Health Setting Requirements
• A home health pharmacy fits somewhere
between an inpatient and an outpatient
pharmacy
• Technicians process medications for
patients on a weekly or monthly basis
• There are no patients, doctors, nurses,
or other health care providers in this
pharmacy
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Home Health Setting Requirements
• Home health pharmacies are based
away from hospital sites and are not
open to the public
• Couriers deliver medications to the
home health clients
• Medications are packaged in cardboard
blister packs
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Home Health Setting Requirements
• Home health nurses provide services
in the home setting and receive supplies
from the pharmacy, or patient’s family
may pick up or have supplies delivered
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Mail Order Pharmacy/E-Pharmacy
• These types of pharmacies provide
for common acquired illnesses of
older people
• Large buildings in industrial areas
that are used to process new or refill
prescriptions
• New area of pharmacy that is steadily
growing
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National Certification
for Technicians
• Pharmacy Technician Certification Board
(PTCB) administers the certification
exam three times
a year in all 50 states
• Four major societies developed
guidelines to gauge technicians:
ASHP, APhA, ICHP, MPA
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National Certification
for Technicians
• The following are goals for pharmacy
technicians:
– To work more effectively with pharmacists
– To provide greater patient care and services
– To create a minimum standard of knowledge
– To help employers determine knowledge base
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National Certification
for Technicians
• Not all states’ requirements for
technicians are standardized
• Most, if not all, require technicians
to have a high school diploma
• Technicians who have successfully
passed the 140-question exam can use
the title Certified Pharmacy Technician
(CPhT) behind his/her name
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Technician Duties
and Qualifications
• Refer to Box 3.1 for duties of a
certified technician
• Refer to Box 3.2 for characteristics
of a certified technician
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Opportunities for Technicians
• Proper educational training
(AS or BS in computer science)
can lead to writing software or
supplying support
• Can also write curriculums, articles,
and books for technician training
• Completion of training programs
offers degrees, such as certificates,
diplomas, AA, AS, BA, or BS
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Opportunities for Technicians
• Nontraditional technician jobs
(refer to descriptions on page 34)
• Pharmacy business management
operators
• Computer support technicians,
Software writer, Authors, Poison
control call center operator, Nuclear
pharmacy technician, Director/Instructor
in training program
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Incentive Programs
• Pharmacies sometimes have incentive
programs for employees who want to
further their career in pharmacy
• Reimbursement of tuition costs or
pay incentives are given
• Reimbursement for passing the PTCB
examination
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