Pharmacy Technician Career Overview
The pharmacy technician prepares medications under the direction of a pharmacist. This person may measure, mix, count, label, and record amounts and dosages of medications according to prescription orders in a retail pharmacy or a hospital pharmacy environment.
Job Duties may include:
- Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.
- Prepack bulk medicines, fill bottles with prescribed medications and type and affix labels.
- Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests.
- Maintain proper storage and security conditions for drugs.
- Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information.
- Price and file prescriptions that have been filled.
- Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients.
- Order, label, and count stock of medications, chemicals, or supplies and enter inventory data into a computer.
- Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.
- Mix pharmaceutical preparations, according to written prescriptions.
Pharmacy Technician Career Training Program Overview
Pharmacy technicians play an important role in supporting pharmacists in hospitals, health systems, and community pharmacies. Through this certification program, pharmacy technicians are prepared to serve the profession by working with pharmacists to offer safe and effective patient care.
Begin an exciting career in healthcare as a Pharmacy Technician today! Our experienced instructor will focus on topics such as technician duties, patient confidentiality, dispensing medications, terminology, pharmacy abbreviations, calculations, routes, and formulations, how to read prescriptions, prescription labels, and auxiliary labels. Students will be prepared to sit for the National Pharmacy Technician Exam offered through PTCB.
Certifications and Need to Know Information:
- Pharmacy Technician Certification
- Pharmacy Technician Student Handbook
- Pharmacy Technician Program FAQs
Employment Outlook
View local salary and job market information here >>>
What funding options are available?
The pharmacy technician program is a FastForward program and is also eligible for the G3 scholarship. Eligible residents who have been living in Virginia for at least one year may qualify for FastForward and pay only one-third of the cost of tuition. Since this is also a G3 program, you may be eligible for last-dollar funding, bringing your total tuition to $0. Please review the G3 information page, which outlines income qualifications and if you think you qualify or if you have any questions, please contact our operations team at 540-868-7021 to get registered.
Additional financial assistance, grant funding, and Sallie Mae loans are available here for eligible students.
