Retail Pharmacy Technician Work

Working as a retail pharmacy technician is an area I have experience in. There are unique challenges to working retail.

Excellent customer service skills are required to work in retail. Sometimes your patience will be tested to its limits. Sometimes you will feel overwhelmed.

Working in spite of these feelings and knowing how to deal with them is an important skill.

Always strive to be professional. You are representing the pharmacy you work for by the way you treat customers-in person as well as on the phone.

Word of mouth is great for business! You want the customers you take care of to not only return to the store for future business, but to let friends and family know about the pharmacy.

Here are some of the other things that a retail pharmacy technician does:

-He or she has to make calls to physician offices and must know how to translate prescriptions.

-The retail pharmacy technician has to be able to work in a team setting that is fast paced. He or she has to collaborate with team members to solve problems.

-Being a retail pharmacy technician will require that close attention is paid to detail.

-The pharmacy tech should not be afraid to interact with the physician.

-He or she should have the ability to identify as well as define problems, establish facts, collect data and draw valid conclusions. The pharmacy technician should be highly organized as well as have the ability to multi-task.

-He or she must enjoy working with a team and have good telephone skills.

-If you are thinking about becoming a pharmacy technician, then you should be able to help a licensed Pharmacist to provide medication as well as any other health care products to clients.

-Technicians will perform routine tasks to help get the prescribed medication to the customer. Therefore, the technician will usually count tablets and label bottles.

-The technician will also perform different administrative duties which include answering the telephone, stocking shelves and will often operate the cash register.

-If a customer has a question about a certain medication, the technician will refer that to the pharmacist.

Pharmacy technicians who work in mail-order or retail pharmacies will have varying responsibilities. State rules and regulations may vary from state to state.

The technician receives written prescriptions or a request for a prescription refill from patients.

They should also be ready to receive prescriptions that are sent by fax from the doctor’s office. They must verify that the prescription’s information is accurate and complete.

In order to prepare the prescription, the technician must retrieve, count measure and even at times mix the medication. After that the technician prepares the prescription labels, selects the right type of prescription container and will put the prescription as well as any auxiliary labels onto the bottle.

After the prescription has been filled, the technician prices and files the prescription which must always be checked by a pharmacist before the patients gets the medication.

Technicians may also maintain and establish patient profiles, prepare any insurance claim forms, stock as well as take inventory of all prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Most customers will have some type of a prescription insurance card. It is important for techs to know how insurance works, what a BIN number is, and what a Deductible and a Co-payment are. See my page on prescription insurance for more information on this subject.

Pharmacy Work Enviornment Information

Most of the typical retail pharmacy techs' workday is spent on their feet. There are often mats on the floor in areas that get a lot of traffic, but other than that, it is important for a tech to have a good pair of walking shoes. Make sure your shoes are broken in before you come to work.

A a retail pharmacy technician's work area must be kept clean and organized. Work areas should be cleaned regularly, and counting trays and counting spatulas should be as well.

Isopropyl alcohol (or "rubbing alcohol") is commonly used to clean the technicians work counter, counting trays, and spatulas. Pharmacists like clean work areas, take my word for it!

Also, keeping a clean work area reduces the chances of a customer developing an allergic reaction from Bactrim DS (generic: Sulfa-trim DS) or any other commonly dispensed medications' residue from the counting tray.

Most of the time technicians work in well lighted, heated and comfortable environments. Your specific working conditions would be dictated by the location of your employer.

You may need to consider getting a 4-wheel drive vehicle if you live in an area that has frequent snowstorms or other bad weather conditions. At the very least, if you area gets bad weather regularly, it may be a good idea to invest in a weather radio to keep you informed of changes in the weather.

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