walgreens pharmacy technician

[monkey24]

Hello fellow pharmacy technicians..

Can someone who works at walgreens(or other retail pharmacies) as a pharm tech give me some tips/advice? I did not go to tech school and took ptcb --> got pharm tech license so I do not have any experience. How do you know/memorize the control drugs (II-IV) & what the drugs are used for (cholesterol, diabetes, etc..)? Also, how do you understand all the insurance stuff/third party rejection? Is there like a book or site I can refer to so I can learn the plan id, bin #, pcn?

I really want to become a better tech. What can I do to become faster and more efficient? Any help will be appreciated. thanks!

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[jarraiga]

I also did the whole PTCB approach to getting my tech license (I think its ridiculous to spend money on tech school). I had no experience going into target pharmacy. I knew absolutely nothing going in and I was kind of just thrown into the shark tank. Luckily I am a fast learner so it became easier overtime, took 6 months but now I am a very good tech.

Again, to memorize the drugs controls or what they are for takes time. Its part of the experience. There is no such book for insurance because its always changing. This too will take time plus each pharmacy chain system for billing or processing is different. Target's system is archaic but easy to bill.

Just dont stress out about it. Learn as much as you can so you dont have to ask questions all the time. Do not let patients bully you and grow some thick skin.

 

[TechthenpharmD]

Hello fellow pharmacy technicians..

Can someone who works at walgreens(or other retail pharmacies) as a pharm tech give me some tips/advice? I did not go to tech school and took ptcb --> got pharm tech license so I do not have any experience. How do you know/memorize the control drugs (II-IV) & what the drugs are used for (cholesterol, diabetes, etc..)? Also, how do you understand all the insurance stuff/third party rejection? Is there like a book or site I can refer to so I can learn the plan id, bin #, pcn?

I really want to become a better tech. What can I do to become faster and more efficient? Any help will be appreciated. thanks!

I work at walgreens currently and can tell you the only way to learn insurances is being exposed to many "tpr" issues.

Take a small notepad and write down every new rejection you come across and how you or the other techs resolved the problem.

Learning the scheduled drugs is also by just being exposed to them over and over. It takes some time but you will eventually learn them.

When you come across the less common ones like opana ( at least in my area) put it down in your notepad as a refrence. Also,don't be afraid to ask questions if you truly don't know.

Best of luck!

 

[aglo123]

For your sake here's a short list of all the "essentials" you would normally need to know:


furosemide/hydrochlorothiazide/amlodipine = blood pressure
metformin = diabetes
-statin or -col = cholesterol
-prazole = stomach/heartburn
-pril/-sartan/-olol= blood pressure
-azepam/-azolam = anxiety (controlled sched. 4)
-cillin/-mycin= antibiotic
Tramadol = pain
-azodone/fluoxetine/venlafaxine/paroxetine/sertraline/citalopram/escitalopram = mood

 

[monkey24]

For your sake here's a short list of all the "essentials" you would normally need to know:


furosemide/hydrochlorothiazide/amlodipine = blood pressure
metformin = diabetes
-statin or -col = cholesterol
-prazole = stomach/heartburn
-pril/-sartan/-olol= blood pressure
-azepam/-azolam = anxiety (controlled sched. 4)
-cillin/-mycin= antibiotic
Tramadol = pain
-azodone/fluoxetine/venlafaxine/paroxetine/sertraline/citalopram/escitalopram = mood

thanks! this will come in handy!

 

[tendram]

I also did the whole PTCB approach to getting my tech license (I think its ridiculous to spend money on tech school). I had no experience going into target pharmacy. I knew absolutely nothing going in and I was kind of just thrown into the shark tank. Luckily I am a fast learner so it became easier overtime, took 6 months but now I am a very good tech.

Again, to memorize the drugs controls or what they are for takes time. Its part of the experience. There is no such book for insurance because its always changing. This too will take time plus each pharmacy chain system for billing or processing is different. Target's system is archaic but easy to bill.

Just dont stress out about it. Learn as much as you can so you dont have to ask questions all the time. Do not let patients bully you and grow some thick skin.

+1. Learning all of the pharmacy stuff just takes time. I have found that the best way to learn brand/generics is to practice while entering/filling scripts. Every time you see a generic drug try to think of the brand name and vice versa and also maybe what it is used for. I also look at the generic names on the bottles of brand name medications which you don't have to do but once you get familiar with the nomenclature of the specific types of drugs it helps you get an idea of what that medication may be used for. Insurance is strictly a time and experience thing though. The more you deal with it the easier it gets.

 

[kies89]

i remember posting similar question about 2 months ago when i started..
you will get better.. believe or not.
i learned the names of drugs mostly by typing.. and all the same drugs i encounter, i make sure i use f10 to know brand-generic names and what they are for.
you will get familiar with controls as you fill, or type them also.
it has been only 3 months for me and still many things to learn but i know i am much better than i was before now.
just do what you gotta do and you will be fine