If you’re thinking of becoming a pharmacy technician, you’ll certainly be curious as to what their day-to-day schedule looks like — because it’s what your day-to-day schedule will look like. To help you get a clear picture of what this career consists of, let’s walk through some of the responsibilities typical to pharmacy technicians roles be it in a retail pharmacy, mail order or other pharmacy settings.

Many pharmacy technicians are expected to provide face to face customer service to patients though some only communicate with patients over the phone and others have no direct communication with patients.  Beyond providing outstanding customer service to patients, many pharmacy technicians are tasked with uploading and processing medication requests and verifying coverage for customers. Before handing prescriptions off to patients, pharmacy technicians must confirm the recipient’s insurance information and personal information so they can accept payment and make adjustments to patient records whenever necessary. Because the costs of some prescriptions can still be high even after being discounted by an insurance company, pharmacy technicians may even help customers apply for manufacturer coupons.

While physical prescription drop-offs still pass through the hands of some pharmacy technicians such as those in retail, hospital or long term care settings, most drug requests are processed electronically. Once an order has been processed, a pharmacy technician can begin dispensing the medication, which requires them to either retrieve a pre-packaged medication or hand-fill a prescription. This process involves multiple steps of verification to ensure that:

• The medication being dispensed matches the prescription

• The patient receives the appropriate dose and amount of medication

• The prescription label is accurate

• The medication is in stock

• The shipping information is correct for any mail order or specialty pharmacy orders

For a number of prescriptions pharmacy technicians fill, there’s an insurance issue to resolve. On a weekly and sometimes daily basis, pharmacy technicians are placing or receiving calls from third-party providers. That’s because, after submitting a pharmacy claim to an insurance company, pharmacy technicians are often the first to know if the claim was denied for any reason. In some cases, the

pharmacy technician can easily resolve claim issues by resubmitting it with corrected information or requesting that a patient consult their physician about the timing of their refill.

Could you see yourself in the role of a pharmacy technician? If so, expand your career opportunities with HealthCare Support. Our team of healthcare recruiters can match you with the facilities and job openings that fit your background and future goals. To learn more about our services and gain access to countless healthcare job openings, contact us today at 407-478-0332.