Pharmacy Technician Roles

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Madison Ph 100: T/Th 1pm Benchmark Part A Due 11/13/2014 Week 4 Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technician The roles and responsibilities of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians vary slightly, mostly in the duties a pharmacist takes on which technicians cannot perform. The pharmacist’s role in the pharmacy takes on more of a managerial position, while the technician is a supportive member. Within the pharmacy there are many duties which a pharmacist and technician can both perform, however the duty usually falls to the technician so the pharmacist is free to perform duties only the can perform. These responsibilities also change in different work environments, the most basic of which being community pharmacies, such as one you would find…show more content…
A pharmacist must complete a doctorate program which takes at least 7 years, plus the time they spend in internships. A certified technician is not required to have any schooling, only pass their certification exam, or at the most complete a 2 year program. This large gap in schooling is not the only reason the technicians cannot perform the same duties a pharmacist can, although it is the most important. A pharmacist is held under much higher expectations and legal responsibility than a technician, causing them to be more likely to complete their duties to the full extent of the legal and professional expectations. The responsibilities of a pharmacist are based more upon decision making, the maturity and reasoning learned from and required to complete a doctorate program aide the pharmacist in making the correct decisions within the work…show more content…
The pharmacist job is primarily based in management and decision making, which is very important, but the technician does the work that makes the pharmacy run. The thing I was most surprised to learn was that a technician can authorize refill orders without the help of the pharmacist. Doing this assignment really helped me understand what role I will be playing in the pharmacy as a technician and as, hopefully, a pharmacist. I didn’t truly understand what the specific roles of each member of the pharmacy staff where until this assignment but now I feel like I do. Bibliography About Pharmacy Technicians. (2014, November 2). Retrieved from ASHP: http://www.ashp.org/menu/PracticePolicy/ResourceCenters/Pharmacy-Technicians/About-Technicians Ballington, D. A., & Anderson, R. J. (2014). Pharmacy Practice for Technicians . St. Paul, MN: Paradigm Publishing Inc. Code of Conduct. (2014, November 2). Retrieved from PTCB: http://www.ptcb.org/resources/code-of-conduct#.VGR86Pl4pcQ division 19. (2014, Novemeber 2). Retrieved from Board of Pharmacy: http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us/pages/rules/oars_800/oar_855/855_019.html Division 25. (2014, November 2). Retrieved from Board of Pharmacy:
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