How Technology is Changing the Role of the Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians are an integral part of the healthcare industry. They are ever-eager and ready whenever the pharmacist might need them for preparation, medication issues, or care for the patient. 

For years, pharmacy technicians counted pills, measured liquids, or labeled prescriptions or less manually. Lately, with new technology expanding in health dimensions, the role of the pharmacy technician has begun to broaden. Technology accelerates the work of a pharmacy, making it safer and more accurate for the good of pharmacists and patients.

1. Automated Dispensing Systems

Changes in pharmacy work mainly occur with automated dispensing systems. These systems enable technicians to prepare prescriptions much quicker and less prone to error compared to the past. 

An example could be an automated dispensing machine that can count and sort pills rapidly and can even label prescription bottles. This reduces the time pharmacy technicians need to spend on repetitive tasks and allows them more time for other significant areas of their job, including customer service or medication management. 

Automation in dispensing enhances medication safety. Since the system is automated, it minimizes errors in counting and labeling medications. This reduces mistakes in giving patients the wrong medication or strength. It also helps pharmacy technicians monitor medication inventories, which aids them in knowing when to order more medications.

2. Medication Management Software

Another way technology is also changing the pharmacy technician’s role is through medication management software. It helps the pharmacy technician track medications taken by a patient and also avoid harmful drug interactions. 

It also helps the technicians track what medications are running low and need to be reordered. The systems can also alert technicians if a prescription is missing important information, such as dosage or a patient’s allergy information.

A pharmacy technician can realize any problems with a prescription before filling it through medication management software. This can ensure that a patient takes the correct type of medication and is not susceptible to various errors. Besides, it supports filling numerous prescriptions assigned to one pharmacy technician, which may save time in busy pharmacies.

3. Pharmacy Robotics

Robotics have been common in the pharmacy. From the pharmacy technician, working efficiently could be courtesy of the robots. Other places have robots that help them by packaging and labeling drugs.

These robotic systems help process prescriptions quicker and more accurately, relieving some of the pressure that would have fallen on technicians to keep up with demand in a busy pharmacy. Automating some more mundane tasks frees the pharmacy technician from some functions. 

This would free up the pharmacy technicians to invest time and effort in more person-to-person interactive activities, such as assisting patients with their prescriptions or answering questions about medications.

4. Patient Communication Tools

Technology has also made communication between pharmacy technicians and patients much more manageable. Most modern-day pharmacies use email, text messages, and mobile application communications to keep patients posted about the status of their prescriptions. For example, a pharmacy technician can text a patient when the latter’s prescription is ready for pickup or even when a problem exists with the prescription order.

In other instances, the pharmacy technician may even receive patients directly and deal with them directly through telehealth tools. That would enable them to advise about medication or, for that issue, conduct refills without necessarily having physical meetings. 

In such a case where there is much involvement with a population that may have complicated travel problems to the drugstore-for instance, the elderly population or those limited by disabilities-this concept would be advantageous.

5. Electronic Health Record EHR

EHR stands for electronic health records. Healthcare professionals use these to store and share patient information, including medication, allergies, medical conditions, etc. Recently, pharmacy technicians have started using an EHR system to view a patient’s updated health and medication information.

With access to EHR, a pharmacy technician could ensure appropriateness and accuracy for a particular patient. The technicians thus can check out everything about the patient regarding a specific drug interaction or allergic reaction far before the prescription filling-in activity. Their task is also conveniently supported with an EHR system, leading towards easy collaboration on the part of the pharmacy technician with the relevant health personnel to provide optimal treatment to their clients.

6. Online Prescription Refills and Medication Orders

With the advanced stages of technology, it is now easier for patients to request a prescription refill without going to the pharmacy. Most pharmacies offer online services through which a patient may request prescription refills via a website or mobile application. Many times, these online orders are processed by pharmacy technicians.

Online refill requests processed by pharmacy technicians will reduce the queue at drugstores. The workings of a pharmacy will, therefore, be smooth and orderly, reducing the waiting time for all patients. It will also enable the pharmacy technician to perform better, as the volume of prescriptions is usually high in busy pharmacies.

Launch Your Career as a Pharmacy Technician

The face of the work of a pharmacy technician is changing with technology. Dispensing and patient communication automation makes the job much more efficient, safer, and rewarding. Those who want to become a pharmacy technician and learn to work with these technologies can enroll at Northwest Career College.

Our Pharmacy Technician program brings online learning and hands-on training at Northwest Career College. Graduates will be prepared to immediately take the PTCB certification to become certified Pharmacy Technicians and successfully launch their rewarding healthcare careers. 

You can expect proper work readiness from graduation for any kind of setting that pharmacy technicians are engaged in, including but not limited to hospitals, clinics, or retail pharmacies, and help maintain their health and safety.
Enroll at Northwest Career College and start your journey into the high-tech world of healthcare as a qualified Pharmacy Technician.