The role of the pharmacy technician has evolved in order to lower health care costs and allow licensed pharmacists, whom they assist, to place more emphasis on patient care and advice. These factors have given pharmacy technicians more responsibility for routine tasks.

Prescription Preparation

Under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, pharmacy technicians follow a specific procedure for filling prescriptions. They count pills or otherwise measure medications, make bottle labels and ensure that the prescription and accompanying information is accurate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Retail Duties

Pharmacy technicians working in a retail pharmacy or mail-order pharmacy may additionally be responsible for receiving electronic prescriptions from doctor's offices, pricing prescriptions, running a cash register, filing insurance information and stocking prescription and over-the-counter medicine.

Hospital Duties

Pharmacy technicians in a hospital setting have the responsibility of reading patient's charts and preparing ordered medications. The technician then gets the approval of the prescription order from the licensed pharmacist and may deliver it to the patient and update the patient's profile.

Administrative

Administrative duties are often a part of the pharmacy technician's workload. This may include answering phones, taking messages, handling money or other tasks that may or may not be covered by a pharmacy assistant.

Customer Service

During a shift, a pharmacy technician may deal in customer service by answering general questions. Any questions about a specific prescription, drug information or health concerns are referred to the pharmacist, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Source

US Bureau of Labor Statistics

Pharmacy Technicians and Assistants