Army Pharmacy Technician - 68Q or Pharmacy SpecialistThe Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) for an Army Pharmacy Technician is 68Q or Pharmacy Specialist. In addition to meeting ASVAB and the requirements for basic training, the Army Pharmacy Technician / Pharmacy Specialist must also do moderately heavy lifting when transporting mobile facilities and normal color vision is required. The Army Pharmacy Specialist, under the direct supervision of a duly licensed pharmacist, is responsible for preparing and dispensing prescribed drugs and medicines. The Army Pharmacy Technician / Pharmacy Specialist also must maintain any and all pharmacy supplies and records, especially if deployed in an Army Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H) field unit. 
The Army Pharmacy Technician is primarily responsible for the preparation, control and issuance of pharmaceutical products and supervising most pharmacy activities.
Specific duties performed by those in this Army MOS include:
* the handling and dispensing of prescriptions under the close supervision of a duly licensed pharmacist * manually or using a computerized system to maintain pertinent patient records * the receipt, interpretation, compounding, manufacture, filing, labeling, issuance and filling of prescriptions, bulk drug, sterile product and/or unit dose orders * evaluation of orders to verify the correct dosage, dosage regimen and quantity that should be dispensed to the patient * checking for the completeness and correctness of the prescribed drug * checking for any common interactions, incompatibilities and availability of any prescribed medicines * referring any questionable orders or questions on the basic formulation of medicines to the supervisory pharmacist for clarification prior to filling and dispensing the prescription * reducing or enlarging the formulas as required to adequately fill a prescription * calculating and annotating the proper medicine's dosage * evaluating completed orders to ensure that the integrity of the final product is maintained * providing information regarding the availability, strength and composition of medications to physicians or pharmacists V * verifying the patient's eligibility for the receipt of the medication * providing instructions to the patients on how the medication should be consumed as well as any possible side effects * performing quality control checks on medications to make sure they are not expired, etc. * issuing medications to patients, the wards, clinics and other agencies that use them * assigning and recording prescription numbers * delivering unit doses, sterile products, bulk drug and controlled drug orders * preparing prescription labels and affixing auxiliary labels to medicine containers * maintaining signature cards and prescription files * preparing and maintaining files of the stock cards for controlled substances, records and work units * maintaining master formula records, batch sheets and patient medication records * maintaining the pharmacy reference files and publications library * preparing and filing any necessary pharmaceutical reports * preparing the requisitions for and receiving, packing, unpacking, storing, safeguarding and accounting for pertinent inventories * controlling and issuing all pertinent pharmaceuticals and pharmacy supplies * inspecting, calibrating, operating and performing preventive maintenance on all common pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging equipment * cleaning and disinfecting of pharmacy equipment and work areas * packing, unpacking, loading and unloading equipment and assists in setting up unit equipment in the field
For this MOS position, knowledge is expected in the areas of: pharmaceutical calculations, pharmaceutical chemistry, the ethics practiced in pharmacology and medical pharmacy management, quality assurance, medical administrative procedures, local and medical supply procedures, and management of various documentations. To gain entry into this career field, the successful completion of one year of high school or one unit of college algebra is more or less mandatory. The completion of high school or college courses in physiology, anatomy, chemistry, biology, typing and automated data processing is highly recommended.
In order to be awarded the MOS 68Q classification, the completion of a basic pharmacy course of 19 weeks, 0 days, held at Fort Sam Houston base in Texas is mandatory. All other levels must be based on these minimum requirements in order to progress. To see how this experience translates to a civilian position, check with your local state's pharmacy board for more information.
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