PHARMACY TECHNOLOGYPHARMACY TECHNOLOGY

PurposePurpose

The Pharmacy Technician Program The Pharmacy Technician Program seeks to provide our service area seeks to provide our service area with students that have the technical with students that have the technical skills and knowledge base needed to skills and knowledge base needed to practice in any setting.practice in any setting.

WhatWhat can this program do for can this program do for you?you?

Provide you with the technical Provide you with the technical skills and knowledge needed to skills and knowledge needed to practice in a variety of pharmacy practice in a variety of pharmacy settings.settings.

Prepare you to pass the Prepare you to pass the Pharmacy Pharmacy

Technician Certification Board.Technician Certification Board.

What is a Pharmacy What is a Pharmacy Technician?Technician?

A healthcare A healthcare

professional with a professional with a

wide range of wide range of

skills and skills and

knowledgeknowledge..

What is a Pharmacy What is a Pharmacy Technician?Technician?

A professional who A professional who

is accountable to is accountable to

the pharmacist for the pharmacist for

quality and quality and

accuracy.accuracy.

What is a Pharmacy What is a Pharmacy Technician?Technician?

An individual who An individual who

assists pharmacists assists pharmacists

with technical and with technical and

non-technical tasks.non-technical tasks.

The pharmacy profession is experiencing The pharmacy profession is experiencing severe shortages of trained staff locally severe shortages of trained staff locally

and nationwideand nationwide..

Opportunities For Pharmacy Opportunities For Pharmacy TechniciansTechnicians

Currently, there are Currently, there are

more opportunities more opportunities

for Pharmacy for Pharmacy

Technicians than Technicians than

PharmacistsPharmacists..

Technicians who Technicians who

complete a complete a

diploma program diploma program

and are certified and are certified

are in great are in great

demand.demand.

Workplaces for Workplaces for Pharmacy TechniciansPharmacy Technicians

Retail Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies – – independent/chainindependent/chain

Hospitals –general Hospitals –general / specialized/ specialized

Call CentersCall Centers

Mail Order Filling Mail Order Filling FacilitiesFacilities

Manufacturing Manufacturing facilitiesfacilities

Infusion servicesInfusion services

Drug wholesale Drug wholesale companiescompanies

Insurance Insurance companiescompanies

Long-term care Long-term care facilitiesfacilities

Repackaging FirmsRepackaging Firms

Retail PharmacyRetail Pharmacy

Tasks include:Tasks include: Entering, Filling, Entering, Filling, Labeling and Recording Labeling and Recording

prescriptionsprescriptions

Compounding Compounding prescriptionsprescriptions

Managing inventoryManaging inventory

Maintaining patient Maintaining patient records and profilesrecords and profiles

Billing third party plans Billing third party plans for pharmacy servicesfor pharmacy services

Hospital PharmacyHospital Pharmacy Tasks include:Tasks include:

Entering, Filling, Labeling Entering, Filling, Labeling and Recording and Recording prescriptionsprescriptions

Compounding Compounding prescriptionsprescriptions

Managing inventoryManaging inventory

Maintaining patient Maintaining patient records and profilesrecords and profiles

Preparing IVs and other Preparing IVs and other sterile productssterile products

Drug informationDrug information

Mail Order / Long term care / Mail Order / Long term care / Infusion servicesInfusion services

All provide specialized services to patientsAll provide specialized services to patients Long term careLong term care – fill prescriptions for patients in – fill prescriptions for patients in

facilities.facilities. Infusion servicesInfusion services – provide IV products to patients in – provide IV products to patients in

the community setting.the community setting. Mail OrderMail Order – fill prescriptions to be mailed to – fill prescriptions to be mailed to

customerscustomers

Repackaging Repackaging Firms Firms

Federal Law now requires that all Federal Law now requires that all medications administered in medications administered in institutions be scanned at the institutions be scanned at the bedside. Packaging Firms prepare bedside. Packaging Firms prepare dosages for scanning. dosages for scanning.

Call Centers and Insurance Call Centers and Insurance CompaniesCompanies

Tasks include:Tasks include: Handling the majority Handling the majority

of prescription of prescription processing for processing for

insurance companiesinsurance companies

May be responsible for May be responsible for criteria based drug criteria based drug utilization reviewutilization review

Work for an insurance Work for an insurance companies and process companies and process

medical claimsmedical claims

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Pharmaceutical Manufacturing FacilitiesFacilities

Tasks include:Tasks include:

Any technical Any technical function in drug function in drug manufacturing.manufacturing.

Management of Management of other techniciansother technicians

Quality assuranceQuality assurance

Drug WholesalersDrug Wholesalers Tasks include:Tasks include:

Inventory Inventory management management

Packaging and Packaging and shipping of shipping of

pharmaceuticalspharmaceuticals

Management of other Management of other technicianstechnicians

Quality AssuranceQuality Assurance

A look into the future…A look into the future…

New New requirements.?requirements.? Completion of Completion of

accredited programaccredited program11 Continuing Education Continuing Education

more definedmore defined22

Specific clinical or Specific clinical or hands on experiential hands on experiential hourshours22

Advanced CPhT with Advanced CPhT with tiered tiered responsibilitiesresponsibilities22

SpecializationSpecialization of of pharmacy pharmacy technician jobstechnician jobs33:: VaccinesVaccines Medication Therapy Medication Therapy

Management (MTM)Management (MTM) Nuclear PharmacyNuclear Pharmacy

1. NABP Recommendations http://www.nabp.net/news/assets/TF-PharmTechEduc.pdf2. PTCB C.R.E.S.T. Summit 2011 http://www.ptcb.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=CREST_Summit&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=42343. Innovating the Pharmacy Technician’s Role. http://www.ashpintersections.org/2010/12/innovating-the-pharmacy-technician%E2%80%99s-role/

Expected SalariesExpected Salaries11

1. ASHP. “Expected Salaries” http://www.pharmtechinfocenter.com/careers/expected_salaries.html