What is a Pharmacy Technician?

Pharmacy technicians help licensed pharmacists provide medication and other health care products to patients. Technicians usually perform routine tasks to help prepare prescribed medication for patients, such as counting tablets and labeling bottles.

Technicians refer any questions regarding prescriptions, drug information, or health matters to a pharmacist. (See the statement on pharmacists elsewhere in the Handbook.)

Pharmacy aides work closely with pharmacy technicians. They often are clerks or cashiers who primarily answer telephones, handle money, stock shelves, and perform other clerical duties. (See the statement on pharmacy aides elsewhere in the Handbook.)

What are typical duties of a pharmacy technician?

Pharmacy technicians usually perform more complex tasks than do pharmacy aides, although in some States their duties and job titles may overlap.

Pharmacy technicians who work in retail or mail-order pharmacies have varying responsibilities, depending on State rules and regulations. Technicians receive written prescriptions or requests for prescription refills from patients.

They also may receive prescriptions sent electronically from the doctor's office. They must verify that the information on the prescription is complete and accurate. To prepare the prescription, technicians must retrieve, count, pour, weigh, measure, and sometimes mix the medication. Then, they prepare the prescription labels, select the type of prescription container, and affix the prescription and auxiliary labels to the container.

Once the prescription is filled, technicians price and file the prescription, which must be checked by a pharmacist before it is given to the patient. Technicians may establish and maintain patient profiles, prepare insurance claim forms, and stock and take inventory of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

What about in hospitals?

In hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted-living facilities, technicians have added responsibilities, including reading patients' charts and preparing and delivering the medicine to patients. Still, the pharmacist must check the order before it is delivered to the patient.

The technician then copies the information about the prescribed medication onto the patient's profile. Technicians also may assemble a 24-hour supply of medicine for every patient. They package and label each dose separately.

The packages are then placed in the medicine cabinets of patients until the supervising pharmacist checks them for accuracy. The packages are then given to the patients.

Pharmacy Technician Continuing Education:

RxED.Org - Site allows for downloading of continuing education (CE) lessons with electronic submission and grading of CE exams. After studying the lesson, you may proceed to the examination web page. Your exam will be graded immediately.

If a passing grade of 70% or better is achieved, a Continuing Education Statement that you can print will be displayed on your screen. If you have previously completed a continuing education program on this site and have misplaced your continuing education certificate, you may print another copy. Courses cost $6.00 each.


Rx School - Specializes in review manuals.
Pharmacy Technician Review Manuals for PTCB Certification More Info

Math Master Pharmaceutical Calculations and National Certification Review Manual by Noah Reifman, R.Ph., M.S., ASCP. More Info

Certification Review Manual for Pharmacy Technicians, 6th edition, Ark Pharm. Consultants, 2002  More Info

Math Master Pharmaceutical Calculations for the Allied-Health Professional, 2nd edition, Ark Pharm. Consultants, 2002 - More Info

RxPTech - Pharmacy Technician Educators Council ; Larry C. Nesmith, BS. Ed. President
Model Curriculum for  Pharmacy Technician Training (2nd Edition) more info




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