As a pharmacy technician, an individual would need to prove efficiency and expertise of job responsibilities but also possess good communication and solid interpersonal skills. In this type of position, the technician would work directly for a licensed pharmacist while being required to follow strict guidelines. Just as with any type of job or career, success reaches beyond qualifications.
In this role, a pharmacy technician would provide assistance to the pharmacist by handling many phone calls, preparing patient prescriptions, working with customers, mixing and preparing certain medications, process billings for non-licensed management and third parties, and maintain patient information. A good way to look at the role of a pharmacy technician is that this individual represents the pharmacist so with a job well done, the pharmacist would become more trusted by doctors, which in turn would boost business.
Key Job Factors For A Pharmacy Technician
Having good written and oral communication skills is imperative. In fact, while not mandatory, it would be highly beneficial if a person in the pharmacy technician role were able to speak two, possibly three languages fluently. Obviously, this would make it easier to deal with a broader range of patients, assisting with issues that would otherwise be complicated by a language barrier. It would be very helpful if this person were also well-read.
Another primary role of the pharmacy technician is to prepare and mix various ingredients to create medication. The way that many pharmacies are designed architecturally, patients can actually watch medications being prepared. If the pharmacy technician is aware of this, actions would be handled in a more professional manner.
It is also the role of the pharmacy technician to deal with challenging patients from time-to-time. This could be in the form of someone being irate or simply a patient who has a difficult time communicating information. The same is true when dealing with doctors, especially those providing written orders in that handwriting is often challenging to read. The bottom line is for a pharmacy technician to handle the various responsibilities that go along with the job, being alert and having the ability to focus are imperative.
Special Qualifications Of A Pharmacy Technician
Beyond the primary qualifications to become a pharmacy technician listed above, there are other qualifications that would increase the odds of a person being hired but also this person being successful. Because of the nature of the job, accuracy is critical. For instance, if an ingredient were measured wrong when preparing medication, a patient could be put in harm’s way or even be at risk of dying so having great math aptitude and concentration would be critical for the job.
Flexibility is also recommended in that job requirements can change quickly and without notice. Therefore, this person would need to get the job done while maintaining priority and attention to detail. A pharmacy technician must be level-headed and feel comfortable in the work setting. Sometimes, patients face life and death diseases, some have mental or physical impairments, and some are overly stressed due to health-related issues so staying calm and showing compassion would certainly prove beneficial.
While it might not seem that big an issue, having good phone etiquette would also be essential. In the role of a pharmacy technician, phone calls would be handled for patients, vendors, pharmaceutical reps, doctors, and so on. Therefore, being able to remain professional, offer concise information or instruction, and deal with angry patients is also imperative.
Do Pharmacy Technician’s Have To Be Good Typists?
Finally, one of the essential qualifications to become a successful pharmacy technician would be having good typing skills. This would include being able to type at 40 words per minute at minimum but also type accurately. Along with typing medication instructions and dealing with patient information, it is relatively common for a pharmacy technician to use some type of data management program. Having fast and accurate typing abilities would make this person more proficient as a pharmacy technician.