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No one Teaches you how to be a pharmacy technician better than Us!
We will teach you to be a successful pharmacy technician. besides given you book knowledge, we will learn the common sense part of the pharmacy tech job. You will learn the importance of being alert, observant, organized, dedicated, responsible and the importance of taking directions. This is what makes for a great pharmacy technician.
The Manhattan Institute instills in our pharmacy techncian students that precise work details are sometimes a matter of life and death. Although a pharmacist must check and approve all of the work of a pharmacy technician, you will feel confident to work on your own, without constant instruction from the pharmacist.
Ask The Director.
The following are commonly asked questions about our pharmacy technician training career training. If you require any additional information about our pharmacy technician education, email, or call us at 212-564-1234. We try to answer all questions within 24 hours
Do pharmacy technicians go by other titles?
Pharmacy technicians assist and support licensed pharmacists in providing information, education, health care and medications to patients. Although people have been assisting pharmacists for many years, they have not always been recognized as skilled workers, nor have they always had the title pharmacy technician or pharmacy tech. Pharmacy Technicians have been refered to as a pharmacy helper, pharmacy clerk, pharmacy aide, pharmacy aid, pharmacy assistant, pharmacy worker, pharmacy attendant and pharmacy support personnel. Some pharmacy technicians are still given these older titles in some areas of the country, while in other areas they may be called pharmacy technologists.
What is the differece between a Pharmacist and a Pharmacy Technician?
To become a Pharmacist requires more education then a Pharmacy Technician. A pharmacist must take and pass a license examination to work in New York State. A Pharmacy Technician does not require a license to work, in fact; New York State does not have a licensing exam or certification to work. Pharmacy technicians must have a broad knowledge of pharmacy practice, & be skilled in the techniques required to order, stock, package, & prepare medications, but they do not need the advanced college education required of a licensed pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians may perform many of the same duties as pharmacists, however, all of a technician’s work must be checked by a pharmacist before medication can be dispensed to a patient. Pharmacy technicians usualy everywhere pharmacists work, although state laws may limit the duties pharmacy technician can perform.
Where do Pharmacy Technicians Work?
Pharmacy technicians work in hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, home health care pharmacies, nursing home pharmacies, clinic pharmacies, nuclear medicine pharmacies, & in mail order prescription pharmacies. In addition, some pharmacy technicians have been employed in non - traditional settings by medical insurance companies, medical computer software companies, drug manufacturing companies, and drug wholesale.
Does a pharmacy technician have different duties in a retail pharmacy then in a hospital?
When working in a pharmacy, pharmacy technicians must work under the direction of a licensed pharmacist. In a retail pharmacy, technicians may stock, inventory prescription and over the counter medications. Pharmacy Technicians may maintain written, computerized patient medication record. Pharmacy Technicians count, pour medications into dispensing containers, type prescription labels, prepare insurance claim forms, and manage the cash register. In hospitals, pharmacy technicians may perform many of the same duties as they do in retail pharmacy, but they may have additional responsibilities including: Assembling a 24 hour supply of medication for each patient, repackaging medications, preparing commercially unavailable medications, preparing sterile intravenous medications, maintaining nursing station medications, collecting quality improvement data, delivering medications to patient rooms, operating computerized dispensing machinery. In most practice settings, pharmacy technicians perform any duties they are assigned by the pharmacist. The one requirement all these pharmacy technician duties have in common is a need for absolute accuracy & precision in both the technical andclerical aspects of the job.
What will be expected of me as a Pharmacy Technician?
Although pharmacy technicians work under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, and must be willing to take directions, they must also be able to work competently without constant instruction by the pharmacist. In any pharmacy setting the patient is the most important person. Pharmacy technicians must truly care about, and find satisfaction in serving the patient. Because of the critical nature of many common pharmacy duties, the pharmacy technician must enjoy performing precise work, where details can be a matter of life or death. Even if a task is repetitive, a pharmacy technician must be able to complete the task accurately every time. Pharmacy technicians must also be able to maintain this accuracy even in stressful or emergency situations. Many pharmacy technical duties require good manual dexterity,and pharmacy technicians should enjoy working with their hands. Good communication and interpersonal skills are also essential for a pharmacy technician who must interact with pharmacy coworkers, patients, and other health care professionals on a daily basis. Finally, all employers want dependable employees, but dependability is especially important for pharmacy technicians since a patient's welfare may depend on their work.
Do Pharmacy Technicians have a set work schedule?
Technicians can work vary schedules. There is full time and Part time work. Pharmacy technicians usually work the same hours as pharmacists. This may include evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Because some hospital and retail pharmacies are open 24 hours a day, technicians may work varying shifts. As their seniority increases, technicians often have increased control over the hours they work. There are many opportunities for part-time work in both retail and hospital settings.
Is there any reason I should not become a Pharmacy Technician?
Candidates interested in becoming pharmacy technicians cannot have prior records of drug or substance abuse. Strong interpersonal and communication skills are needed because there is a lot of interaction with patients, coworkers, and healthcare professionals. Teamwork is very important because technicians are often required to work with pharmacists, stock, doctors, personal, nurses, and other technicians.
I want to by a Pharmacist one day, good course for me to start with?
We have many graduate students who have to decided to continue there education in Pharmacy. Our Pharmacy Technician course is a great opportunity to enter the health field in a short time, and at a low cost. After working as a Pharmacy Technician you will be around, many professionals who can help guide you. Also, many students go on to other allied health careers, such as Nursing, MRI Tech, to mention a few.
Can out of State Students study in your school?
Yes, We have many out of State students persue the pharmacy technician study at the Manhattan Institute. We do not charge out of State students higher tuition. All students pay the same price for there education. Although most of our students come from the tri-State area, and the five Boro's - New York, New York City, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, and Manhattan. Our Midtown New York City location makes it easy for students in the tri-State area - Long Island, Westchester, Upstate NY, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pensylvania. We have had students from all over the United States study with us. In fact, we have had several students from different foreign countries. Our low tuition makes it a very good alternative. Many students combine study with a vacation. New York City is a great City to visit, and even a better one when you pursue an education at the Manhattan Institute.
A graduate from our pharmacy technician course emailed me the following:
I graduted from your pharmacy technician class in 2/2/01. Your pharmacy technician training was excellent. In less than one month I started working as a pharmacy technician and love the job. I have written this brief commentary relating to my experience as a pharmacy technician. Can you please post it in your school or on your web site, for your pharmacy technician students. to see.
I post your story with pleasure.
Although my work as a pharmacy technician is largely unseen by patients, pharmacy technicians are vital to our health
When the arthritis drug Vioxx was swiftly recalled by its manufacturers in 2004 over fears that it could have been linked to thousands of heart problems, as a pharmacy technician I had never been busier. The phones rang off the hook in the Pharmacie, and it was the Pharmacy Technician who was the first to speak with and deal with patients. People had read about it in the news and were scared, The Pharmacists were overwelmed and had to guide there Pharmacy technicians about what to say to these patients, but also make the patient aware that there were alternative safer drugs that their MD could prescribe. As a pharmacy technician I had to instill trust in our patients, and insure them that we are on there side.
With thousands of patients having been prescribed the drug at that time, AS a pharmacy technician I had to work overtime. This is the time I knew how important of a job a pharmacy technican was, and what a impact a pharmacy technician can make. I can say I am truly proud to be a pharmacy technician, and how I was able to meet the challenge. As a pharmacy technician I get enormous job satisfaction in working with such challenges.
I would also like to share what makes a good pharmacy technician. Besides the excellent pharmacy technician training I received from the Manhattan Institute, it also helps to have excellent communication and teamwork skills when working as a pharmacy technician. You work with so many different types of people - Pharmacy clerks, Pharmacist, Pharmacy students, doctors, patients and there family. To work as a pharmacy technician you should have some computer knowledge. Dealing with patients a pharmacy technician must be confident.
To excel as a pharmacy technician you will need a high level of concentration. I have moved to a different company to work as a pharmacy technician, My role as a pharmacy technician now is to handle most of the paper work, so if you have good administrative skills for record keeping, you will go a long way as a pharmacy technician, This pharmacy technician job pays me more then my last pharmacy technician job. I am not sure what the future will hold, but I can tell you that choosing the Manhattan Institute as my school to study to be a pharmacy technician was one of the best career moves I have made.
A Pharmacist who hires our graduate's was kind enough to e-mail me this article.
I have been hiring your Pharmacy Technician students for over five years. They are very well trained. A very important part of a pharmacy technician's job is the phone and cash register. I am sending you this article, which will be very useful to your students.
Pharmacy Technican's most be competent using the register and phone.
Training the Pharmacy Technician the register and phone.
Two of the most important tools that a pharmacy technician will use every day in the pharmacy are the cash register and the telephone. It's important that as a pharmacy technician you learn the correct procedures for each. Let's start with the cash register.
Depending on the size of the pharmacy you work at, your prescription department probably has one or two areas to wait on customers. These areas are called windows. If your department has two windows, one may be used for customers dropping off prescriptions and the other for picking up prescriptions. If your department has only one window, it will serve both purposes. The pharmacy technician is responsible to work these areas. Sometimes there is a seperate pharmacy techncian for each window, and sometimes one pharmacy technician will handle both the pickup and dropoff window.
The pharmacy technician will need to use the cash register.
In any case, the cash register will be located where customers pick up prescriptions. When you are working in this area, your will have eight register duties:
1. Ringing the register: When working as a pharmacy technician you will come in contact with many different kinds of registers, and you need to learn the functions of the one in your drug store. If your supervisor has not already taught you how to use the register, ask to schedule some time for instruction. Take your time learning the functions. The more you use the register, the more comfortable you will become with it. This is a very resonsible task that the pharmacy technician is respnsible for. The pharmacy technician must be precise and consise when processing transactions.
2. Stocking and organizing supplies: Since the cash register is placed where customers pick up their prescriptions, transaction supplies are usually kept nearby. These include bags of different sizes, a stapler and staples, register slips for checkout, overrings and refunds, blank charge card slips, pens and notepads. Notice where these supplies are located. The pharmacy technician will probably be responsible for keeping these items stocked and organized.
3. Ringing non-cash purchases: In addition to payment by cash, most stores will accept personal checks and/or charge cards. Some also offer personal charge accounts for their prescription customers. When you start working as a pharmacy technician your supervisor will explain your store's particular procedures for ringing non-cash transactions.
4. Ringing tax-exempt purchases: There are many items in the prescription department that may not be taxable, the store that employs you as a pharmacy technician may have procedures for handling these sales. These items vary from state to state, and could include such purchases as prescription drugs, insulin, syringes and baby formula. Also, all sales to nonprofit organizations with tax exempt numbers are not taxable. Check with your supervisor regarding tax exempt policies in your store.
5. Including the prescription receipt: Whenever you ring a prescription sale, you must make sure the customer receives the receipt that accompanies the medication. This receipt could be hand-written by the pharmacist or printed from the computer. The pharmacy technician should not hand write a reciept which contains prescription medication. The receipt may include such information as the medication name, prescription number, insurance provider, prescribing doctor, date filled and amount owed by the customer.
Customers may submit these receipts to their insurance companies for reimbursement. Part of the job of a pharmacy technician is to routinely check the counter where the pharmacist puts the filled prescriptions. You will bag the medication and staple the prescription receipt to the bag. Always compare the container and the receipt to be sure the customer's name and the prescription number on each are the same.
6. Handling co-pay insurance transactions: If your pharmacy submits insurance claims by computer for some insured co-pay customers, then you must get their signatures in the "third-party log book." This book is kept by the register and must be used each time you issue a prescription for which your pharmacy submits a claim. Using the information from the prescription receipt, you fill in the blanks in the book and ask the customer to sign it. If your pharmacy does not process co-pay insurance claims through a computer, you may have insurance forms to fill out instead of a log book. Your supervisor will show you how to use the log book or the forms. This is not as complicated as it sounds, and as a pharmacy technician, it will be your job to make sure you perform this task perfectly, as the owner of the pharmacy will be counting on you.
7. Writing up itemized receipts: An itemized receipt is a handwritten receipt you give to a customer to record the purchase of a nonprescription drug. Customers may ask for a receipt when they buy medical necessities like diabetic or first-aid supplies. These can be used to file insurance claims or to verify medical expenses for tax deductions. Unlike receipts for prescription drugs, the pharmacy technician will most often be able to write these receipts. When the pharmacy technician writes up an itemized receipt, use a store receipt with the name of the pharmacy printed on it. Include the date of purchase, items purchased, their quantity and their price, listing each item on a separate line. Add any applicable tax and compute the total. You should print your name somewhere on the receipt. Ask your supervisor if you should ad your pharmacy technician title to the receipt.
8. Selling controlled substances: The law requires that the over-the-counter (nonprescription) sale of certain substances, called Schedule V medications, be recorded in a special log book kept at the register. This is necessary because these medications can be habit forming or can be abused. The pharmacy technician may have the duty to fill in the blanks in the book, and the customer must sign for the merchandise. The pharmacist will approve the purchase if satisfied that the merchandise is being used legitimately. The sale of poisons must similarly be recorded in the poison record book. Again as a pharmacy technician you always will need to get the pharmacist's approval.
Answering the telephone
The Pharmacy Technician may have to answer the phone. Every time you answer the phone or place a call, you represent your store to the customer on the other end of the line. Your attitude and manner are important. A friendly, helpful voice will keep customers returning to your store. Because customers can't see your smile over the telephone and the attention in your eyes, you have to work harder to convey your friendliness and concern. You are not just a person picking up the phone, you are the pharmacy technican, the right hand of the pharmacist.
Many incoming calls will concern prescriptions, either new ones or refills. These calls may originate from doctors' offices or from customers. If calls do not need the attention of a pharmacist, then the pharmacy technician will probably be asked to handle them.
Here are some guidelines for answering the phone:
1. Answer the phone promptly by the third ring.
2. Identify your store, your department and your name, and offer a service. For example; "Brown Drugs, prescription department. This is Janet. May I help you?" Sometimes you may have to identify yourself as the pharmacy technician.
3. Listen carefully to the caller and don't interrupt. You are a trained pharmacy technician, and must pay close attention to the caller.
4. When responding, speak clearly, distinctly and at a moderate speed. Show interest in the tone of your voice. If asked your title also speak slow and clear when you say pharmacy technician.
Handling the call
If you can handle the call yourself, do so. Give the caller the information quickly, politely and professionally. If you must leave the phone to get information, ask the customer to please hold while you check. Use the hold button or place the receiver down gently. When you return, thank the caller for waiting. When you have finished your conversation, thank the customer for calling. The pharmacy technician is courteous, even if you are busy.
Some of the calls you will handle include inquiries about whether a prescription is ready, requests for refills, requests to transfer an existing prescription to your pharmacy or requests for the pharmacy to call the doctor to order a prescription or refill. Some tasks are handled by the pharmacy technician and some are not. Ask your supervisor which of these tasks a pharmacy technician may handle, and which are refered to the pharmacist.
For requests to call the patient's doctor, write down the necessary information on a refill or a new prescription blank. To alert the pharmacist, note on the blank that the doctor must be called. Be sure to include the patient's name, address and phone number, as well as the doctor's full name and phone number.
There are four kinds of calls the pharmacy technician will usually can't handle:
1. Doctors' calls--Whenever a doctor's office calls about anything concerning a prescription, be courteous and say you will transfer the call to the pharmacist. If the doctor asks why he is being transfered, tell him you are the pharmacy technician, and this is a call the pharmacist must handle.
2. Drug information or emergency calls--Calls about side effects, overdoses and poisons must be transferred to the pharmacist. If the call is an emergency and the pharmacist is unavailable, give the caller the poison control telephone number for your area. This number is usually posted next to the phone. Always tell the caller you are the pharmacy technician, and the pharmacist needs to handle the call.
3. Calls from other pharmacies--If another pharmacy calls about a prescription, get the prescription number and transfer the call to the pharmacist. If needed tell the caller you are the pharmacy technician, and this is a call which the pharmacist needs to handle.
4. Calls about prescription errors-rarely, a mistake may be made in filling a prescription. A customer who calls about an error should be transferred to the pharmacist. Do not make any comments to the customer about the complaint. Simply say, "I am the pharmacy technician I will give you to a pharmacist."
If the caller needs another department or the pharmacist, ask the caller to hold for a moment while you transfer the call. You can tell the caller you are the pharmacy technician and need to transfer the call to the proper party. Notify the person receiving the call and stay alert to the blinking hold button to be sure the call is answered. A customer who has to hold for a long time may become justifiably irritated.
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