Roles of the Pharmacy Technician

These flashcards cover the roles, responsibilities, and regulations pertaining to pharmacy technicians as presented in the lecture notes.

What tasks do pharmacy technicians primarily perform to support pharmacists?

Pharmacy technicians support pharmacists by performing various tasks such as processing prescriptions, managing inventory, and providing customer service.

What is the significance of national certification for pharmacy technicians?

National certification demonstrates the competency of pharmacy technicians, allowing them to perform more advanced duties and ensuring patient safety.

What is the meaning of 'scope of practice' for pharmacy technicians?

The scope of practice includes tasks that pharmacy technicians can legally perform under their license, registration, or certification.

How do pharmacy technicians contribute to patient safety?

Pharmacy technicians maintain patient safety by adhering to state, federal, and organizational laws and regulations while performing their duties.

What are pharmacy technicians NOT allowed to do?

Pharmacy technicians are not permitted to exercise clinical judgment regarding medication dispensing, such as deciding if a dose is correct.

What types of prescriptions can pharmacy technicians process?

Pharmacy technicians can process electronic, written, telephoned, or verbal prescriptions depending on state regulations.

What is the role of pharmacy technicians in inventory management?

Pharmacy technicians are responsible for keeping pharmacies stocked with necessary supplies, managing medication inventories, and ensuring that expirations are checked regularly.

What are some housekeeping responsibilities of pharmacy technicians?

Responsibilities include maintaining clean environments in pharmacies and patient care areas and handling insurance claims.

What distinguishes the roles of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians?

Pharmacists are responsible for clinical judgment and patient consultation, while pharmacy technicians perform supportive tasks without clinical decision-making authority.

What is Medication Therapy Management (MTM) and how do pharmacy technicians assist?

MTM is a service to improve patient outcomes through medication review, and pharmacy technicians assist by identifying patients who may benefit from these services.

What do pharmacy technicians need to do when handling hazardous medications?

They must follow USP

Why are standardized precautions important in a pharmacy setting?

Standard precautions are crucial to minimize infection risk and ensure safe handling of medications, especially when compounding.

What are some examples of high-alert medications?

High-alert medications include opioids, anticoagulants, and insulins, which have a heightened risk of causing significant patient harm if used incorrectly.

What is the importance of accurate documentation in a pharmacy?

Accurate documentation helps in auditing, billing, and ensuring patient safety by providing a reliable record of medication dispensed.

What actions should pharmacy technicians take when a medication has expired?

Expired medications must be removed from stock, quarantined, and disposed of according to pharmacy protocols.

What is the procedure for verifying a DEA number on a prescription?

To verify a DEA number, you add the first, third, and fifth digits, add the second, fourth, and sixth digits and multiply that sum by two, and check if the last digit of the total matches the last digit of the DEA number.

What is the '9 Rights of Medication' for pharmacy technicians?

The 9 Rights include the right medication, right dose, right time, right patient, right route, right effects, right documentation, right reason, and right to refuse.

What role do automated dispensing machines (ADMs) play in pharmacies?

ADMs enhance medication management efficiency by securely storing, dispensing, and tracking medications.