Does working as a pharmacy tech really motivate you to become a pharmacist?

[ecstyle483]

I have heard the best way to learn if you want to become a pharmacist is to first become a tech. Is this true? I'm assuming that they each position perform different tasks. I am still unsure if I want to become a pharmacist right now and was wondering what the different responsibilities in each position would be. I mean, obviously pharmacists have more knowledge and more responsibility but what are the major differentiations between the two during a normal day at work? (besides salary)

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[steveysmith54]

are u asking tech vs pharm?

Depends on the setting.

In retail pharm, a tech does almost everything except counsel, take doctor's orders, perform final clinical review.

In Hospital setting, a tech only dispenses.

 

[ecstyle483]

are u asking tech vs pharm?

Depends on the setting.

In retail pharm, a tech does almost everything except counsel, take doctor's orders, perform final clinical review.

In Hospital setting, a tech only dispenses.

What do you mean by "everything" for the tasks performed by a pharm tech.

im just worried to do something stupid and give someone wrong prescriptions, etc. Pharmacists hold great responsibilities to patients' health and im afraid of situations such as this....

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cT5GJL0tEto

 

[steveysmith54]

A pharmacist is responsible for checking everything and anything a tech does. For example, when a patient brings in a prescription to CVS/Walgreens/etc. A tech will type the label and pull out the medication from the shelf and give it to the pharmacist. Then a pharmacist will check if the tech correctly interpeted the prescription and pulled the right med from the shelf. then the pharmacist will either dispense the drug himself, or if he trusts the tech, he/she will dispense it.

In hospital pharmacy, it gets more complicated.

 

[steveysmith54]

BTW, the cases discussed in the video had as much to do with pharmacists being overworked and pharmacies being highly understaffed as tech not being properly educated.

 

[ecstyle483]

thats true.. i just hope that i will never make a mistake like that!

 

[DooberXL]

Well, most major chains are SOMEWHAT idiot proof in terms of tech work. There's lots of checking and doubling checking of your work, so you don't have to be concerned about putting the wrong pills in the wrong bottles. The pharmacist should catch those mistakes. I guess the most critical part that you as a tech should be concerned about is actually selling the medication. I work at one of the busiest stores in the district (close to 500 scripts per day) and after a long 8 hour shift of non stop work, you're pretty darned tired. I remember once I sold several prescriptions to a person, but didn't verify all of the addresses on each bag. Turned out that there were two patients with the same name, but different addresses. Simple mistake that could've been easily avoided, but we're all human. So yea, the entire process is pretty much idiot proof as long as the pharmacist is keeping an eye on things.

 

[ajh88]

I would say that working in a pharmacy may help you decide if that is the type of environment in which you would be happy. However, the big caveat is that every pharmacy is different - retail chains vary, hospital pharmacies vary, and so on. There are also other areas of pharmacy practice where it may be difficult to gain experience as a technician.

I would NOT say that working as a technician will help you decide if pharmacy is the right career for you. I have been a tech for over a year now in a retail setting (and for a few months in a hospital), and I personally think being a tech stinks - the only thing that being a tech helped me to decide was that I would NOT want to be a tech forever! As a tech, you have no authority to counsel, advise, anything to patients - sometimes at my retail job I think most customers believe we are just cashiers at a convenient location (sadly, it is kind of true). And at my hospital job, I'm basically a delivery person.

At the end of the day, you could either get a job in a pharmacy and try it out, or even ask to shadow or volunteer in a pharmacy. In my opinion, you can gain knowledge as a tech that you can build on while you're in school and you can use it as an early networking opportunity. Your tech job will kind of be what you make of it, but I don't think I would use it as my only measuring stick for whether or not I wanted to become a pharmacist.

 

[rxforlife2004]

Working as a technician vs a pharmacist is like comparing orange vs apple. It's two different world in the same setting of work enviroment. I have never worked as a technician...however, i used to work as an intern during pharmacy school year, so pretty much , i performed intern's job + some pharmacist's job.

Here's what i think. Jobwise, technician has to deal with more craps than a pharmacist, especially if you work for retail setting...dealing with customer isn't easy. But it all boils down to the pharmacist' responsibilities. If a customer complains, the pharmacist will be the first one to response for such complaint. Or if a wrong med is given, it's the pharmacist's responsibility....
Now, that doesn't mean pharmacist will get an easy job either. We have to deal with doctors, nurses all the time...lots of different headache, we're also responsible for so many things at the same time: in retail: phone rings, patients are waiting for meds to be picked up, MD on the line for a follow-up. Patient is waiting at the cashier to be counseled....you name it. In hospital, imagine yourself being the only pharmacist in the pharmacy, phone rings, technician needs floor-stock/cassesste checked to be delivered, IV tech asked for IV checked, then you have a new Stat ordered faxed down for a Versed Drip and you're the only one who can open the control cabinet....things like that happens very often.

Knowledge wise...hm...well, i respect my technicians in a way they're so helpful to help out with their job and without technicians, my work would be chaotic. Technicians are trained to do technician's job, mainly filling and dispensing medication, answering phones (hopefully). But there is no way i would feel comfortable to have a technician talking to an MD about drugs. Why? Because they don't have enough training in depth in medications. If that's the case, they should have gone to Pharmacy school and get a Pharm.D. Say if the MD is on the line and asks for a change in Lipitor for another similar medication because Lipitor is NOT on formulary, a technician may/may not be able to answer it...but what if he asks, "is it okay to take Lipitor with Amiodarone and Cyclosporine? and my patient is acute renal failure, liver enzyme is elevated today 3x then yesterday...", or a nurse ask, "Is it okay if i push Lasix 80mg for 1-2 mins?". I don't think the technician would be able to answer in such cases...Now that's the difference!
There are lot of things pharmacists can do, and technicians can't (due to law + even if law allows, tech can't do it...).

As of motivation, it can vary from person to person. Some will quit in between because they think pharmacy is a boring career...since they don't work as the pharmacists, they see the outside...some feels it's a great career...so it depends.

 

[RaginCajun]

That was a great video.
I can see how leadership experience would help. I worked at an independent pharm filling 160+/day with just another tech and pharmacist but 300+ a shift.

(Maybe I should worry about getting accepted first but that did open my eyes especially with the baby).

 

[PharmDstudent]

Yes.

 

[BacardiGirl]

Did any of you find it difficult to gain experience prior to applying to school? I am looking to find work in a hospital or retail setting to supplement my studies, but it seems like I am not getting any responses due to my lack of experience in healthcare. (I worked in mortgtage/financial for the past 6 years)

 

[pharmstud07]

It definitely gives you the opportunity to see for yourself if it's really what you want to do.

In the retail setting, basically the technician does everything (type prescriptions, bill insurance, count pills, order medication, maintain inventory, sell prescriptions). The pharmacist basically, verifies that the technician does everything correct. If anything needs to be changed in the filling process (technician entered wrong medication, strenght, quantity, or if the filling technician filled the incorrect tablets etc.) the pharmacist will then correct the technician.

One of the things you will only be able to do as a pharmacist is consult with patients about their prescriptions from a clinical standpoint. Even if you may know a little about medications in such because of your experience as a technician, you're not allowed to discuss medications with patients nor recommend over-the-counter medications.

I've been with Walgreens for almost 5 years while simultaneously working at a hospital pharmacy for 1.5 years. Honestly, you'll get paid more in the hospital setting, but you may need some retail experience before they will hire you.

So yeah, pharmacy is what I want to do. And yeah, my decision was based on my work experience as a technician.

 

[pharmstud07]

Working as a technician vs a pharmacist is like comparing orange vs apple. It's two different world in the same setting of work enviroment. I have never worked as a technician...however, i used to work as an intern during pharmacy school year, so pretty much , i performed intern's job + some pharmacist's job.

Here's what i think. Jobwise, technician has to deal with more craps than a pharmacist, especially if you work for retail setting...dealing with customer isn't easy. But it all boils down to the pharmacist' responsibilities. If a customer complains, the pharmacist will be the first one to response for such complaint. Or if a wrong med is given, it's the pharmacist's responsibility....
Now, that doesn't mean pharmacist will get an easy job either. We have to deal with doctors, nurses all the time...lots of different headache, we're also responsible for so many things at the same time: in retail: phone rings, patients are waiting for meds to be picked up, MD on the line for a follow-up. Patient is waiting at the cashier to be counseled....you name it. In hospital, imagine yourself being the only pharmacist in the pharmacy, phone rings, technician needs floor-stock/cassesste checked to be delivered, IV tech asked for IV checked, then you have a new Stat ordered faxed down for a Versed Drip and you're the only one who can open the control cabinet....things like that happens very often.

Knowledge wise...hm...well, i respect my technicians in a way they're so helpful to help out with their job and without technicians, my work would be chaotic. Technicians are trained to do technician's job, mainly filling and dispensing medication, answering phones (hopefully). But there is no way i would feel comfortable to have a technician talking to an MD about drugs. Why? Because they don't have enough training in depth in medications. If that's the case, they should have gone to Pharmacy school and get a Pharm.D. Say if the MD is on the line and asks for a change in Lipitor for another similar medication because Lipitor is NOT on formulary, a technician may/may not be able to answer it...but what if he asks, "is it okay to take Lipitor with Amiodarone and Cyclosporine? and my patient is acute renal failure, liver enzyme is elevated today 3x then yesterday...", or a nurse ask, "Is it okay if i push Lasix 80mg for 1-2 mins?". I don't think the technician would be able to answer in such cases...Now that's the difference!
There are lot of things pharmacists can do, and technicians can't (due to law + even if law allows, tech can't do it...).

As of motivation, it can vary from person to person. Some will quit in between because they think pharmacy is a boring career...since they don't work as the pharmacists, they see the outside...some feels it's a great career...so it depends.

Good post! I wish I would have read this before I posted the one above.