Change is inevitable if growth is to be realized. Every profession evolves over time and only the professionals who can keep up with the changing practices manage to build successful careers.
Over the last few decades, allied healthcare services have seen a sharp increase in employment opportunities. The field of medicine is constantly evolving. New medicines are invented and marketed for improving healthcare services. Technology has made its way into the healthcare industry, providing refined systems and procedures to manage administrative tasks and medical procedures.
Employers are keen on employing professionals that come with the ability to quickly update themselves and adapt to new working methods that foster increased productivity.
Pharmacy technician programs and certifications impart skills and knowledge required by technicians to perform their duties, understand the overall system, and become proficient in broadening their capabilities.
Here are a few tips to help pharmacy technicians bridge the gap between old practices and new technological advancements, and meet work-place challenges:
1. Stay Updated
It is important for pharmacy technicians to keep abreast of the new inventions in the field of medicine and stock up/refill the inventory accordingly.
The challenge is to stay updated of the developments concerning existing drugs. With certain drugs, new discoveries and in-depth research lead to the identification of harmful effects which went unidentified earlier. Soon after such discoveries, the drugs are required to be withdrawn/banned from the market. Technicians must respond to such developments and work collaboratively with pharmacists to make immediate changes in the medicine stock.
Pharmacy technicians must also be aware of the developments in the laws governing their practice and make adjustments to comply with them.
Periodical supervision of the drug inventory helps identify expired and obsolete drugs, which must be discarded safely by the technicians.
Extreme care must be taken in dispensing such medicines as the smallest error can have lethal consequences on patients.
2. Maintain Accurate Patient Records
Updating the database with patients’ records is one of the key responsibilities of pharmacy technicians. All information needs to be updated and accurately saved.
It can be challenging for pharmacy technicians, especially the newbies, to communicate with edgy patients politely and ask for information without sounding rude or offensive.
A thorough review of patient records is crucial in ensuring accuracy and security of confidential information, the leakage of which can lead to legal trouble for the pharmacy/hospital.
3. Gear up to Expand Your Job Profile
Advanced pharmacies have progressed towards designing bigger roles for pharmacy technicians. They are being entrusted with responsibilities that go beyond filling prescriptions. In fact, the tasks that were once carried out exclusively by pharmacists are now being delegated to pharmacy technicians.
Upon excellent response from pharmacy technicians towards such transitions, their duties will be transferred to pharmacy associates, as technicians take up crucial roles. Technicians can serve as value-adding assets by providing medication therapy management and several other comprehensive patient assessments. Such developments enable pharmacists to better attend to patients and increase the overall productivity of the healthcare establishments.
Technicians are also foreseen to take up leadership positions in the future and communicate directly with patients.
4. Be Professional and Kind to All Patients
Patients and customers could come to the drug store with various ailments. While patients may be unable to present their best self, technicians must respond to them with care and exhibit empathy, concern, and a heart-felt desire to help.
It is important for healthcare professionals to provide moral support to patients during trying times. Technicians must get accustomed to not always being responded to with equal courtesy as patients could be impatient owing to chronic diseases and medication.
Conclusion
The booming allied healthcare industry offers rewarding careers with profound job satisfaction and growth opportunities. Aspiring students can serve the lucrative pharmaceutical industry by becoming a pharmacy technician. After acquiring certification and new skills post training, students can aim to pursue a meaningful career that promises new challenges and opportunities to those who showcase dedication and the will to serve with passion. Read our job profile post to get a better idea of what the job is like.
