The Role of Institutional Pharmacy Technicians
The Role of Institutional Pharmacy Technicians
An institutional pharmacy technician must be aware of policies and procedures and state and federal laws. They have to be accustomed with dosing, compounding, IV administration and other drug related procedures (Johnston, M. (with Frank, C., & Luke, R.), 2006). Pharmacy technicians are there to provide support to the pharmacist in preparing prescriptions, taking care of customer service, any administrative duties required by the pharmacist within the pharmacy setting. Generally technicians count tablets, label bottles, and receive prescription requests along with the above duties if there is not a pharmacy aide on staff to perform the administrative duties previously listed (United States Department of Labor, 2010). In an institutional setting, pharmacy technicians perform a wider array of tasks under the supervision of the pharmacist. Those duties could include data collection and reporting, survey and inspections, education, maintenance, as well as dispensing and inventory.
Medication orders
In an institutional pharmacy medication cannot be dispensed without a prescription. Medications will be listed in the patient chart, filled, billed, and then delivered to the patient. The prescription order could be handed directly to the pharmacy, faxed in, sent via the institution computer system, or picked up by the technician from varying sources within the institution. All medication orders must have the patient information including the patients name, room/bed number, hospital id number and date of birth. The medication must also have certain information to be processed such as the name of the medication, dosage, administration, route, a signature from the prescriber, and the date and hour the prescription was written. These orders must be reviewed for completeness by the technicians which still leaves the prescription in an unverified status until the pharmacist can review them as well making them
An institutional pharmacy technician must be aware of policies and procedures and state and federal laws. They have to be accustomed with dosing, compounding, IV administration and other drug related procedures (Johnston, M. (with Frank, C., & Luke, R.), 2006). Pharmacy technicians are there to provide support to the pharmacist in preparing prescriptions, taking care of customer service, any administrative duties required by the pharmacist within the pharmacy setting. Generally technicians count tablets, label bottles, and receive prescription requests along with the above duties if there is not a pharmacy aide on staff to perform the administrative duties previously listed (United States Department of Labor, 2010). In an institutional setting, pharmacy technicians perform a wider array of tasks under the supervision of the pharmacist. Those duties could include data collection and reporting, survey and inspections, education, maintenance, as well as dispensing and inventory.
Medication orders
In an institutional pharmacy medication cannot be dispensed without a prescription. Medications will be listed in the patient chart, filled, billed, and then delivered to the patient. The prescription order could be handed directly to the pharmacy, faxed in, sent via the institution computer system, or picked up by the technician from varying sources within the institution. All medication orders must have the patient information including the patients name, room/bed number, hospital id number and date of birth. The medication must also have certain information to be processed such as the name of the medication, dosage, administration, route, a signature from the prescriber, and the date and hour the prescription was written. These orders must be reviewed for completeness by the technicians which still leaves the prescription in an unverified status until the pharmacist can review them as well making them
References: United States Department of Labor. (2010). Occupational outlook handbook,2010-11 edition. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos325.htm. Retrieved 4/21/11. Remedi. (2010). Remedi senior care. Retrieved from http://remedirx.com/newsroom/pharmacyoverview.aspx. Retrieved 4/21/11. Johnston, M. (with Frank, C., & Luke, R.). (2006). The pharmacy technician series: Fundamentals of pharmacy practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Retrieved 4/21/11.