Pharmacy Technician Job
What is a Pharmacy Technician?
Pharmacy Technician is a valuable member of the health care team, working under the supervision of, and in collaboration with pharmacists. The shortage of pharmacists throughout Canada is extreme and creating challenges in the delivery of pharmaceutical services and products.
The pharmacy profession is delegating more technical and distribution functions to Pharmacy Technicians in hospitals and in community practice. Across Canada, pharmacy colleges and associations strongly support standards of practice, competencies and increased responsibilities for pharmacy technicians.
What Does A Pharmacy Technician Do?
Pharmacy Technicians find the majority of their time is spent in direct contact with patients helping with any or all of the following:
- interpreting and dispensing prescriptions
- compounding medication orders
- preparing all types of pharmaceutical products
- preparing sterile (aseptic) intravenous medications
- assisting with quality control & quality improvement
- purchasing, inventory control & billing
- providing customer service to patients, pharmacists & physicians
Prescription processing is the focal activity for a variety of outpatients, ranging from hospitals, clinics and long term care. Pharmacy Technicians also participate with basic patient counseling for prescription and non-prescription medications, medical devices, as well as purchasing & inventory control.
Where do Pharmacy Technicians Work?
Pharmacy Technicians work independently and part of a team in community and hospital pharmacies. In the community setting, Pharmacy Technicians find the majority of their time is spent in direct contact with patients. Prescription processing is the focal activity for a variety of outpatients, ranging from hospitals, clinics and long term care. Pharmacy Technicians also participate with basic patient counseling for prescription and non-prescription medications, medical devices, as well as purchasing & inventory control.
Pharmacy Technicians also work in hospitals, in collaboration with & under the supervision of pharmacists, in areas such as: the dispensary, sterile intravenous room, wardstock for all nursing units and long term care, purchasing & inventory control. Hospital sites may range from large, tertiary care centers with specialized services to small & medium-sized, primary & secondary care centers with unit dose. Pharmacy technicians tend to have minimal direct patient contact in the hospital setting.
Career Opportunities
Employment may be available on a casual, part-time or full-time basis depending upon your preferences. Pharmacy is an exciting, fast-paced profession that relies on a dynamic team of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians for the delivery of pharmaceutical products and services. Graduates find work in community/retail pharmacies, hospital pharmacies, long-term care pharmacies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, third-party insurance companies, government, teaching, and computer software companies. Many graduates advance to become team leaders and supervisors.
Licensing in Canada
A Pharmacy Technician provides technical and clerical support to pharmacists. Unlike pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians cannot counsel patients and cannot take prescription information over the phone.
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Call: 1 (877) 670-3426
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