What are the responsibilities of a pharmacy technician?

I'm thinking about becoming a pharmacy technician after high school, but I'm not clear on what the job entails. What are the primary duties and responsibilities of a pharmacy tech in a retail or hospital setting?

Pharmacy technicians have a crucial role in both retail and hospital settings. Of course, the specifics may vary by state or employer, as pharmacy regulations vary across states and different health institutions have unique policies and workflows. But, here's a general overview of their responsibilities:

1. Prescription Processing: Pharmacy technicians often manage and process prescriptions. This includes interpreting the prescription orders, entering patient and prescription information into the database, retrieving the correct quantity of medication, and preparing the bottle labels.

2. Inventory Management: Technicians often manage inventory within the pharmacy. They have to track the supply of medications and other healthcare products to identify when shipments are needed.

3. Interacting with Patients & Health Care Providers: In retail settings, pharmacy technicians are often the first point of contact for patients. They may assist customers with picking up their prescriptions and answering basic medication questions. At times, they may communicate with healthcare providers or their office staff to confirm prescription details or sort out any discrepancies.

4. Preparation of Medications: In hospital settings, pharmacy techs may prepare a wider range of medications, such as intravenous (IV) medications. They could also be involved in compounding, which is mixing ingredients to form custom medications specified by the prescription.

5. Quality Assurance and Regulatory Compliance: Pharmacy technicians are also responsible for maintaining standards of cleanliness and organization in the pharmacy to meet regulatory requirements. They need to ensure medications are stored properly and expired or damaged medications are disposed of safely.

6. Billing and Insurance: They often handle the billing process and work with insurance companies to get prescriptions approved. This may involve contacting insurance providers to resolve claim rejections or coverage issues.

Remember, before you can work as a pharmacy technician, you typically need to complete a pharmacy tech training program and pass an exam to become certified. State requirements do vary though, so review your state's specific rules.