Job Description

Pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists prepare medications, make prescribed drug products, mix intravenous solutions, establish and maintain patient records, purchase pharmaceuticals and provide direct patient care.

A person in this career:

• Receives and screens prescriptions and medication orders for completeness, accuracy and authenticity
• Reviews and interprets medication orders written by prescribers
• Calculates medication doses and compounding formulations
• Prepares prescription and cautionary labels and patient counseling information sheets
• Selects correct drug products to measure, fill, package and label for dispensing to patients
• Establishes and maintains patient pharmacy and medical records
• Prepares pediatric medication syrups and solutions
• Compounds medicated lotions, gels, creams, ointments, pastes, suppositories, metered dose nasal sprays, lozenges and capsules for humans and animals
• Compounds sterile intravenous admixtures and total parenteral nutrition
• Prepares and labels medications in unit dose, blister and bulk packaging
• Collects medication histories and performs medication reconciliation for emergency department patients
• Collects medical and medication information and performs tests for patients in anti-coagulation clinics
• Collects medical and medication information, performs medication reconciliation and coordinates medical and pharmacy services for ambulatory care and long-term care patients
• Replenishes medications for hospital care units, emergency kits and cardiac arrest carts
• Delivers medications to patients and patient care areas
• Processes payments and adjudicates insurance claims with third-party payers
• Purchases and stores pharmaceuticals, medical devices and supplies and manages pharmacy inventory
• Assists in identifying patients who desire or need counseling on use of medications and medical devices
• Assists in providing direct patient care in the hospital and community settings
• Operates automated and robotic equipment to process and package prescriptions in hospital and community pharmacies
• Utilizes automation and robotics to dispense and distribute medications from centralized and satellite pharmacies
• Manages automated dispensing equipment for hospital point-of-care administration and to control medication and controlled substance inventory
• Supervises other pharmacy technicians and validates their work

Work hours and travel

• Day and evening shifts
• May rotate work shifts
• May work some weekends and holidays

Career at a Glance

Salary Range
$20,580 to $42,400

Skills Needed
Good math and science skills
Enjoy helping people
Strong communication and people skills
Good computer skills
Strong critical-thinking skills

Job Duties
Assist pharmacists to prepare and dispense prescription medications
Calculate medication doses and formulations
Make drug products in prescribed dosage forms and strengths
Compound sterile IV medication admixtures
Purchase pharmaceuticals and maintain inventories
Provide direct patient-care services

Work Locations
Acute care hospitals
Medical centers and clinics
Medication therapy management pharmacies
Long-term care pharmacies
Home health care agencies
Home IV infusion pharmacies
Nuclear medicine pharmacies
Medication compounding pharmacies
Retail community pharmacies
Independent retail pharmacies
Grocery store pharmacies
Mail-order pharmacies
Veterinary pharmacies
Pharmaceutical wholesale companies
Investigational drug pharmacies
Pharmaceutical companies