Who is a pharmacy technician?
A pharmacy technician could be described as medical personnel that works alongside a pharmacist; they have additional responsibilities such as assisting in compounding medications, dispensing medications, attending to patients, and stocktaking.
A pharmacy technician could also work in department stores, general merchandise stores, and grocery stores; most of them are found in places like drug stores, pharmacies, and hospitals.
Pharmacy technicians are essential in the healthcare sector globally as they can significantly relieve other medical personnel by helping them reduce their workload.
If you are a foreigner outside the U.S that might be considering a career path as a pharmacy technician in the United States, then stick along to this article as it will give you an insight into pharmacy technician jobs in the U.S and some other helpful info that might be useful.
Pharmacy technician jobs USA for foreigners (steps to take)
- You must be a pharmacy technician or any equivalent in your home country
- You must possess a high school diploma or equivalent that certifies you as a qualified pharmacy technician
- You must get a work visa before coming to the U.S
Upon arrival in the U.S, you must take the following steps
- Volunteer in a hospital or any healthcare setting
- Attended an accredited pharmacy technician training program and graduated (one-year duration)
- Get certified by national and regional certification bodies
- Actively maintain your certification every two years
Duties of a pharmacy technician
- They gather necessary information that is needed to fill a prescription from either health professionals and customers
- They package and label prescriptions
- They organize inventory and notify pharmacists of any medications and supplies
- They accept payment for prescription
- They process insurance claims
- They answer phone calls from customers
- They help in arranging a meeting for customers to meet with the pharmacist
Skills possessed by a pharmacy technician
- Communication skills
- Customer service skill
- Detail-orientated skill
- Attentive/listening skill
- Mathematics skill
- Problem-solving skills
- Organizational skill
In summary, I believe this article has been insightful for foreign pharmacy technicians that might be considering moving to the United States to practice their career as pharmacy technicians.