The figure of the pharmacy technician, who is essential in medicine dispensing establishments and therefore; on this occasion from Becomeopedia we will focus on what type of hours a pharmacy technician usually works.
Unfortunately, one day we are all going to get sick at some point, so we are always going to need doctors, nurses, pharmacy technicians, and other health professionals.
If this sector attracts you and if you want to start your career as a pharmacy assistant, we invite you to continue reading.
You will learn, what it will serve you for; to know what it really means to work as a pharmacy technician, from how schedules are managed between employees, to the main functions this professional should perform.
Table of Contents
What Is a Pharmacy Technician
A pharmacy technician may specialize in industrial, hospital, and clinical pharmacy, and pharmaceutical care.
They are of great importance and in high demand in laboratories, pharmacies, and medical centers, being one of the most demanded professional profiles within the health sector.
His main occupation is to carry out research: development, promotion, production of pharmaceutical products, and usually works in pharmacies, hospitals, laboratories, pharmaceutical industries, government entities or independently.
Functions of a Pharmacy Technician
You will learn, what it will serve you for, to know what it really means to work as a pharmacy technician, from how schedules are managed between employees; to the main functions this professional should perform.
Below we will detail the most relevant functions, for which every pharmacy technician must perform:
- Dispatch prescription medications to patients or other health professionals and report on indications, contraindications, collateral effects, doses and possible interactions with other medications.
- Assistance to the pharmacist in the preparation of drugs and formulas and control the quality of medicines during the production stage to ensure that they comply with the standards of purity, uniformity, stability, and security.
- Prepare administrative reports related to the pharmacy; recipe registration, stock control.
- Take care of the medicine dispensing area and take care of the categorization and cleaning of the storage site and products according to each need.
- Place medications that can be toxic or dangerous in some way out of the reach of customers.
- Prepare the formulas of prescribed medications by calculating, measuring, mixing the required components, and pouring the containers with the amount relevant to the indicated treatment.
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- Interpret the recipes, provide medications to customers; advise them in their doubts and recommend products according to their needs.
- Guarantee the correct preparation, distribution, and storage of vaccines, biological products, drugs, and medicines in general.
- Identification of mild pathologies and ensure that patients or customers receive medicines and treatments in the appropriate doses.
- Carrying the pertinent record on the consumption of medications for each patient and ordering and preserving the inventory of pharmaceutical products.
- Guide clients/patients about the selection and administration of non-prescription medication.
- Guide patients about the mode and time of the day in which they should take their medicines.
- Inform them with regard to the possible side effects that could suffer by the effect of the medication.
- Perform routine checkups, such as attending pregnancy tests, measuring blood pressure, cholesterol and making diabetes postage.
- Reception of orders made by the pharmacy, storage, and replacement of the stock. Review the expiration date of medications to ensure that those who expire before they are dispatched first.
- Supervise the auxiliaries or pharmacy technicians and the rest of the staff.
- Supervise and coordinate the activities of other professionals in the area, including other pharmacists, pharmacy assistants, technicians, among others.
- Try to attend to customers and/or patients who come to the pharmacy to look for medicines, pharmacy products, or medications that do not require a prescription.
- Check if there is a possibility of a negative interaction with any other medication that the patient is ingesting, taking into account his medical condition.
The Workday of a Pharmacy Technician
A pharmacy technician may specialize in industrial, hospital, and clinical pharmacy, and pharmaceutical care, a pharmacy does not work without teamwork, and one of the most complex issues to manage is usually that of schedules.
For this reason, it is very important that all employees know how to collaborate, complement each other in tasks and have a good work environment.
The function of the Pharmacy Holder must know how to direct the business, the owner can not force the worker to reduce his workday at a certain time of the day; except in cases of reduction of daycare of children under 12 years.
By managing the requests of their workers, they will not have the condition of overtime and must count on the supplementary hours of the guard.
For this, it must be able to demonstrate in a documented manner changes and flexibility in the schedules and which complies with the obligation of the presence of the pharmacy technician at the computation of pharmacy opening hours.
It is necessary to add as many derivatives of the management, and organization of the pharmacy office, and the employee will adjust their day to the period; that best suits their needs as long as such reduction applies it over their daily day.
Usually, a daytime shift is between 6:00h and 18:00h, while the night shift runs from 19:00 h and 5:00h. Being a regular day from Monday to Saturday and Sundays or holidays.
This would be the type of hours that a regular pharmacy technician usually works, however, this usually changes on a rotating basis and also depends on the number of hours used by the pharmacy.
Why Should You Study Pharmacy Technician?
Studying to be a pharmacy technician is something quite beneficial in different aspects, you will work in an essential sector, highly demanded by the best professionals in the area.
In addition to the flexibility of the type of hours a pharmacy technician usually works, you will obtain the necessary knowledge to stand out from the beginning of your working career and you will have knowledge that you use at any time in your life.
