Pharmacy technician
Encyclopedia
A pharmacy technician, also sometimes known as a pharmaceutical technician, is a health care worker
who performs pharmacy
related functions, generally working under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist
or other health professional. Pharmacy technicians work in a variety of locations, usually in community/retail and hospital
pharmacies but also sometimes in long-term care facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers, third-party insurance
companies, computer software companies, or in government or teaching. Job duties include dispensing prescription drug
s and other medical device
s to patients and instructing on their use. They may also perform administrative duties in pharmaceutical practice, such as reviewing prescription requests with doctor's offices and insurance companies to ensure correct medications are provided and payment is received. In recent times, they also speak directly with the patients on the phone to aid in the awareness of taking medications on time.
In many countries, both developed and developing, the relative importance of pharmacy technicians within the pharmacy workforce has been amplified in recent years, largely as a reaction to pharmacist shortages, resulting in an increase in their numbers and responsibilities.
s for patient
s, but may also perform compounding
of medications, provide advice for non-prescription medications, inventory and track medication and supply orders, and follow up on payments and other administrative tasks. Depending on the nature and organization of the health care system
, in particular the availability of licensed pharmacists and other support staff (such as general pharmacy aides), pharmacy technicians may counsel patients on the proper use of medications, oversee the operational management of the dispensary and/or perform routine clerical duties.
The professional requirements
to become a Pharmacy Technician vary across jurisdictions, but generally entail knowledge and skills in pharmaceutical services as obtained through formal training. Generally, completion of high school is needed to be eligible to become a pharmacy technician, but a university degree is not required. Pharmacy technician training programs are mostly offered by technical colleges and community college
s, and also sometimes by the military
, some hospitals, proprietary schools, or through online or distant learning (correspondence schools). Areas of study may include relevant laws, pharmacy and healthcare ethics, retail and hospital pharmacy practice, medical terminology
, human physiology and diseases, alternative medicine, pharmacotherapeutics, customer care, retail and hospital software systems, inventory management, and infection control.
Practical training, such as completing an internship in a pharmacy, is also often required as part of training for employment as a pharmacy technician.
Many employers favour pharmacy technicians to be certified with a national/local pharmacy board, such as by passing a standard exam and/or paying a fee. In the United States, voluntary certification
is available through many private organizations. Elsewhere, such as in Tanzania and the United Kingdom, pharmacy technicians are required to be registered with the national regulatory council.
chain or franchise community pharmacies, and 16% in independent community pharmacies. Most (62%) obtained pharmacy technician training from a career college or community college, some (16%) had only a high school education and no formal pharmacy training, while about 20% had some university education. A very small proportion (2%) had trained and worked abroad as either pharmacists or pharmacy technicians. The wide range of technical training and educational attainment likely reflects in part the variety of training programs for pharmacy technicians currently available in the different provinces and territories of the country. Accredited Pharmacy Technician diploma, certificate and college programs are offered in the Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
In provinces and jurisdictions where pharmacy technician is a regulated health profession, professional liability insurance
is required in order to practice.
, a 2009 assessment of pharmaceutical human resources identified a total of 1,637 practicing pharmacists (1 per 14,400 population), 918 practising pharmacy Technicians/Technologists (1 per 25,600), and 1,642 medicine counter assistants (1 per 14,300). Nearly half (45%) of pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers across the country reported having one or more vacancies for pharmaceutical personnel, including 82% of public sector facilities.
In the area of training, the assessment identified only one pharmacy technologists training school in the country (enrolling 70 students in the Higher National Diploma program).
, and the other is affiliated with a faith based organization located in Kilimanjaro which offers diploma training. The practice of pharmaceutical technicians is regulated by Tanzania Pharmacy Council, which enrols and enlists them. The country has 0.11 registered pharmacy technicians per 10,000 population.
The main job duties of pharmaceutical technicians include dispensing, stock management, compounding, quantification of pharmaceutical formulations, and laboratory work. In some areas of the country facing acute shortage of physicians and other clinicians, pharmacy technicians have also been found prescribing.
, a Pharmacy Technician must complete a recognised accredited training program with vocational training to NVQ 3 level as well as an academic underpinning knowledge program such as BTEC. In addition a minimum period of time of working as a trainee Pharmacy Technician is needed before final qualifacation. Pharmacy Technicians are qualified to counsel patients on their medication as well as general dispensing of prescriptions. This is different to a Pharmacy Dispenser who is qualified to NVQ2 level and is unable to provide counselling. Additional training is available to qualified Pharmacy Technicians and can include accuracy checking of dispensed prescriptions, Medicines Management (Hospital or PCT), participation in the running of hospital clinics such as anticoagulant
clinics, dosing Warfarin
patients under dose banding guidance. or other higher duties traditionally done by Pharmacists.
In the National Health Service
Pharmacy Technicians always work under the supervision of a qualified Pharmacist even if not in a dispensary and work mainly in one of two areas, hospital pharmacy and community pharmacy. Some also work in Doctors' general practices and in primary care trusts
.
In England, Scotland and Wales, since 1st July 2011, qualified Pharmacy Technicians have to be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
(formerly the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain) to practise and call themselves a Pharmacy Technician. The title 'Technician' such as Pharmacy Technician, Dispensing Technician and/or (Accredited) Checking Technician (ACT) is a protected title and requires the user to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council. A Pharmacy Dispenser cannot call themselves or work as a Technician or register with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
, about 75% of pharmacy technicians in the U.S. work in a retail setting, such as an independently owned drugstore
, a mass retailer chain, or a mail-order or online pharmacy
. An additional 16% of pharmacy technician jobs were in hospitals, while others worked for nursing homes, pharmaceutical wholesalers, or the Federal Government
.
, which currently requires a Pharm.D., or Doctor of Pharmacy). The profession has different educational and certification requirements in different locales, set by each state's Board of Pharmacy. For example, in order to remain licensed, all Illinois pharmacy technicians hired on Jan 1, 2008 (and after) will need to be certified within 2 years of registration with the Division of Professional Regulation.
After obtaining technical school education, an associate degree, or work training, the technician may take a certification exam. Examinations are offered by two certifying bodies. The first is the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), which is offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). The second is the Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT) offered by the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT). Upon successful completion of the examination, the candidate is granted certification. The technician must then complete continuing education to maintain certification.
There are many scopes of the workplace for the Certified Pharmacy Technician. In a retail setting, a CPhT works under the direct supervision of a pharmacist who dispenses prescription medication (tablets, capsules, gels, ointment, creams, suspensions, injection
s, and inhalation medications), and must be familiar with over-the-counter areas as well as third party insurance billing processes. In an inpatient setting, the CPhT works throughout the hospital
, packing and dispensing medication
s in satellite pharmacies and to the various nursing units; compounding intravenous medication while using aseptic technique; narcotic medication dispensing and inventorial procedures; as well as documenting patients' weight, height, drug allergies and other needed information in medication records.
. Students graduate with a diploma after three years of training. The program is run by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare of Zimbabwe
. There is an intake of about 35 students each year.
Health care provider
A health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
who performs pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
related functions, generally working under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
or other health professional. Pharmacy technicians work in a variety of locations, usually in community/retail and hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
pharmacies but also sometimes in long-term care facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers, third-party insurance
Health insurance
Health insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
companies, computer software companies, or in government or teaching. Job duties include dispensing prescription drug
Prescription drug
A prescription medication is a licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained. The term is used to distinguish it from over-the-counter drugs which can be obtained without a prescription...
s and other medical device
Medical device
A medical device is a product which is used for medical purposes in patients, in diagnosis, therapy or surgery . Whereas medicinal products achieve their principal action by pharmacological, metabolic or immunological means. Medical devices act by other means like physical, mechanical, thermal,...
s to patients and instructing on their use. They may also perform administrative duties in pharmaceutical practice, such as reviewing prescription requests with doctor's offices and insurance companies to ensure correct medications are provided and payment is received. In recent times, they also speak directly with the patients on the phone to aid in the awareness of taking medications on time.
In many countries, both developed and developing, the relative importance of pharmacy technicians within the pharmacy workforce has been amplified in recent years, largely as a reaction to pharmacist shortages, resulting in an increase in their numbers and responsibilities.
Overview
Pharmacy Technicians do a variety of tasks associated with preparing and dispensing prescribed medicationMedication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
s for patient
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
s, but may also perform compounding
Compounding
Compounding is the mixing of drugs by a compounding pharmacist to fit the unique needs of a patient...
of medications, provide advice for non-prescription medications, inventory and track medication and supply orders, and follow up on payments and other administrative tasks. Depending on the nature and organization of the health care system
Health care system
A health care system is the organization of people, institutions, and resources to deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations....
, in particular the availability of licensed pharmacists and other support staff (such as general pharmacy aides), pharmacy technicians may counsel patients on the proper use of medications, oversee the operational management of the dispensary and/or perform routine clerical duties.
The professional requirements
Healthcare provider requisites
Healthcare provider requisites refer to the regulations used by countries to control the quality of individual healthcare workers practicing in their jurisdictions and to control the size of the health labour market...
to become a Pharmacy Technician vary across jurisdictions, but generally entail knowledge and skills in pharmaceutical services as obtained through formal training. Generally, completion of high school is needed to be eligible to become a pharmacy technician, but a university degree is not required. Pharmacy technician training programs are mostly offered by technical colleges and community college
Community college
A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.-Australia:Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults...
s, and also sometimes by the military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
, some hospitals, proprietary schools, or through online or distant learning (correspondence schools). Areas of study may include relevant laws, pharmacy and healthcare ethics, retail and hospital pharmacy practice, medical terminology
Medical terminology
Medical terminology is a vocabulary for accurately describing the human body and associated components, conditions, processes and process in a science-based manner. Some examples are: R.I.C.E., trapezius, and latissimus dorsi. It is to be used in the medical and nursing fields...
, human physiology and diseases, alternative medicine, pharmacotherapeutics, customer care, retail and hospital software systems, inventory management, and infection control.
Practical training, such as completing an internship in a pharmacy, is also often required as part of training for employment as a pharmacy technician.
Many employers favour pharmacy technicians to be certified with a national/local pharmacy board, such as by passing a standard exam and/or paying a fee. In the United States, voluntary certification
Certification
Certification refers to the confirmation of certain characteristics of an object, person, or organization. This confirmation is often, but not always, provided by some form of external review, education, assessment, or audit...
is available through many private organizations. Elsewhere, such as in Tanzania and the United Kingdom, pharmacy technicians are required to be registered with the national regulatory council.
Canada
In Canada, according to a 2007 profile of the pharmacy technician workforce, 43% of technicians work in hospitals and other related facilities, 37% inchain or franchise community pharmacies, and 16% in independent community pharmacies. Most (62%) obtained pharmacy technician training from a career college or community college, some (16%) had only a high school education and no formal pharmacy training, while about 20% had some university education. A very small proportion (2%) had trained and worked abroad as either pharmacists or pharmacy technicians. The wide range of technical training and educational attainment likely reflects in part the variety of training programs for pharmacy technicians currently available in the different provinces and territories of the country. Accredited Pharmacy Technician diploma, certificate and college programs are offered in the Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
In provinces and jurisdictions where pharmacy technician is a regulated health profession, professional liability insurance
Professional liability insurance
Professional liability insurance , also called professional indemnity insurance but more commonly known as errors & omissions in the US, is a form of liability insurance that helps protect professional advice- and service-providing individuals and companies from bearing the full cost of defending...
is required in order to practice.
Ghana
In GhanaGhana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, a 2009 assessment of pharmaceutical human resources identified a total of 1,637 practicing pharmacists (1 per 14,400 population), 918 practising pharmacy Technicians/Technologists (1 per 25,600), and 1,642 medicine counter assistants (1 per 14,300). Nearly half (45%) of pharmacies and pharmaceutical manufacturers across the country reported having one or more vacancies for pharmaceutical personnel, including 82% of public sector facilities.
In the area of training, the assessment identified only one pharmacy technologists training school in the country (enrolling 70 students in the Higher National Diploma program).
Tanzania
Tanzania has two Pharmaceutical Technician schools: one is a public sector institution under the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and accredited by Muhimbili University of Health and Allied SciencesMuhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences is the only public university for health sciences in Tanzania.-History:The Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences is a successor to the Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences , which was a constituent college of the University...
, and the other is affiliated with a faith based organization located in Kilimanjaro which offers diploma training. The practice of pharmaceutical technicians is regulated by Tanzania Pharmacy Council, which enrols and enlists them. The country has 0.11 registered pharmacy technicians per 10,000 population.
The main job duties of pharmaceutical technicians include dispensing, stock management, compounding, quantification of pharmaceutical formulations, and laboratory work. In some areas of the country facing acute shortage of physicians and other clinicians, pharmacy technicians have also been found prescribing.
United Kingdom
In the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, a Pharmacy Technician must complete a recognised accredited training program with vocational training to NVQ 3 level as well as an academic underpinning knowledge program such as BTEC. In addition a minimum period of time of working as a trainee Pharmacy Technician is needed before final qualifacation. Pharmacy Technicians are qualified to counsel patients on their medication as well as general dispensing of prescriptions. This is different to a Pharmacy Dispenser who is qualified to NVQ2 level and is unable to provide counselling. Additional training is available to qualified Pharmacy Technicians and can include accuracy checking of dispensed prescriptions, Medicines Management (Hospital or PCT), participation in the running of hospital clinics such as anticoagulant
Anticoagulant
An anticoagulant is a substance that prevents coagulation of blood. A group of pharmaceuticals called anticoagulants can be used in vivo as a medication for thrombotic disorders. Some anticoagulants are used in medical equipment, such as test tubes, blood transfusion bags, and renal dialysis...
clinics, dosing Warfarin
Warfarin
Warfarin is an anticoagulant. It is most likely to be the drug popularly referred to as a "blood thinner," yet this is a misnomer, since it does not affect the thickness or viscosity of blood...
patients under dose banding guidance. or other higher duties traditionally done by Pharmacists.
In the National Health Service
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
Pharmacy Technicians always work under the supervision of a qualified Pharmacist even if not in a dispensary and work mainly in one of two areas, hospital pharmacy and community pharmacy. Some also work in Doctors' general practices and in primary care trusts
NHS Primary Care Trust
An NHS primary care trust is a type of NHS trust, part of the National Health Service in England. PCTs commission primary, community and secondary care from providers. Until 31 may2011 they also provided community services directly. Collectively PCT are responsible for spending around 80% of the...
.
In England, Scotland and Wales, since 1st July 2011, qualified Pharmacy Technicians have to be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council
General Pharmaceutical Council
The General Pharmaceutical Council is the body responsible for the independent regulation of the pharmacy profession within England, Scotland and Wales, responsible for the regulation of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises...
(formerly the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain) to practise and call themselves a Pharmacy Technician. The title 'Technician' such as Pharmacy Technician, Dispensing Technician and/or (Accredited) Checking Technician (ACT) is a protected title and requires the user to register with the General Pharmaceutical Council. A Pharmacy Dispenser cannot call themselves or work as a Technician or register with the General Pharmaceutical Council.
United States
According to the Bureau of Labor StatisticsBureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The BLS is a governmental statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and...
, about 75% of pharmacy technicians in the U.S. work in a retail setting, such as an independently owned drugstore
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
, a mass retailer chain, or a mail-order or online pharmacy
Online pharmacy
Online pharmacies, Internet pharmacies, or Mail Order Pharmacies are pharmacies that operate over the Internet and send the orders to customers.Online or internet pharmacies might include:...
. An additional 16% of pharmacy technician jobs were in hospitals, while others worked for nursing homes, pharmaceutical wholesalers, or the Federal Government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
.
CPhT
CPhT is the abbreviation for Certified Pharmacy Technician. The CPhT works directly under an R.Ph. (Registered PharmacistPharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
, which currently requires a Pharm.D., or Doctor of Pharmacy). The profession has different educational and certification requirements in different locales, set by each state's Board of Pharmacy. For example, in order to remain licensed, all Illinois pharmacy technicians hired on Jan 1, 2008 (and after) will need to be certified within 2 years of registration with the Division of Professional Regulation.
After obtaining technical school education, an associate degree, or work training, the technician may take a certification exam. Examinations are offered by two certifying bodies. The first is the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE), which is offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). The second is the Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technician (ExCPT) offered by the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ICPT). Upon successful completion of the examination, the candidate is granted certification. The technician must then complete continuing education to maintain certification.
There are many scopes of the workplace for the Certified Pharmacy Technician. In a retail setting, a CPhT works under the direct supervision of a pharmacist who dispenses prescription medication (tablets, capsules, gels, ointment, creams, suspensions, injection
Injection (medicine)
An injection is an infusion method of putting fluid into the body, usually with a hollow needle and a syringe which is pierced through the skin to a sufficient depth for the material to be forced into the body...
s, and inhalation medications), and must be familiar with over-the-counter areas as well as third party insurance billing processes. In an inpatient setting, the CPhT works throughout the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, packing and dispensing medication
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
s in satellite pharmacies and to the various nursing units; compounding intravenous medication while using aseptic technique; narcotic medication dispensing and inventorial procedures; as well as documenting patients' weight, height, drug allergies and other needed information in medication records.
Zimbabwe
Pharmacy Technicians are trained at Harare PolytechnicHarare Polytechnic
Harare Polytechnic is a third level educational institution located in Harare, Zimbabwe. It is the oldest third level college in Zimbabwe. It was originally named Salisbury Technical School and was established in 1926....
. Students graduate with a diploma after three years of training. The program is run by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare of Zimbabwe
Ministry of Health and Child Welfare (Zimbabwe)
The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare is a government ministry, responsible for health in Zimbabwe. The incumbent minister is Henry Madzorera and the deputy minister is Douglas Mombeshora.. Its oversees:* Hospitals...
. There is an intake of about 35 students each year.
See also
- Allied health professions
- Health care providerHealth care providerA health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
s - Health workforce
- PharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
External links
- American Association of Pharmacy Technicians (AAPT) (U.S. professional organisation)
- National Pharmacy Technician Association (NPTA) (U.S. professional organisation)
- Association of Pharmacy Technicians, UK (U.K. professional organisation)
- Canadian Association of Pharmacy Technicians (Canadian professional organisation)
- Pharmacy Technician Certification
- Pharmacy Technician Information Guide
- Pharmacy Technician 411 (U.S. resource group)
- Pharmacy Technician Certification Information (U.S.)
- Pharmaceutical Technician Certification (U.S.)
- Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (U.S.)
- Pharmacy Calculations and Conversions (U.S.)