Proper medication must be given to the patients. It is important that not just the doctor knows the medical terms but also the person dispensing the medicine needed by the patient. It is not just a matter of memorizing medical terms but the understanding of the importance of the job at hand. This job falls on the hands of the IV Pharmacy Technician.
What is an IV Pharmacy Technician?
An IV Pharmacy Technician is responsible in preparing intravenous medications safely for patients adhering to established protocols. He is also an assistant in most aspects of pharmacy practice as allowed by rules and regulations.
Duties of an IV Pharmacy Technician
- There are a lot of duties that an IV Pharmacy Technician is responsible for. The main task is the preparation of medications which may include emulsions, liquids, ointments and powders and for the intravenous mixing or compounding procedures.
- An IV Pharmacy Technician assists the Pharmacist in filling up prescription items, as allowed by the State Board of Pharmacy.
- An IV Pharmacy Technician is the one who keys in prescription information in order to produce labels. He is also tasked in labeling products properly that may consist of auxiliary or cautionary labels.
- An IV Pharmacy Technician is tasked to do the inventory, arrange orders for drugs and supplies, checks them in upon arrival, stock shelves and replaces items nearing expiry date and removes them from inventory. He then packs medications needed for dispensing and delivery. He also handles medications returned from the facility to be able to be credited or destroyed.
- An IV Pharmacy Technician is assigned to process patient information into the computer. He inputs data of the patient and orders for medication into a computer business system.
- An IV Pharmacy Technician may be asked to sanitize an IV room, equipment and hood if applicable in the working environment he belongs to.
Work Condition of an IV Pharmacy Technician
There are several workplaces that an IV Pharmacy Technician may work in, namely: hospitals, retail pharmacies and private residences among others. Working hours in a week is 40 hours from 9am to 5pm and may have rotation shifting schedules to work on weekends on as needed.
This job demands the IV Pharmacy Technician to have great attention to details. The other skills needed are: computer skills, communication skills, neat handwriting skills. This job may entail a lot of details to look into thus an IV Pharmacy Technician should be meticulous in doing his job.
Educational Requirements of an IV Pharmacy Technician
The minimum requirement to become an IV Pharmacy Technician is a high school diploma. Certification may be required depending on the state one may plan to work in. This kind of certification can be acquired through various community colleges, hospitals, technical school, and even local health care staffing companies through their continuing education programs. This certification course may also be obtained online.
Occupation and Progress of an IV Pharmacy Technician
This job is highly in demand as there is an increase of the older generation as they use more prescription drugs, new discoveries on drugs, and cost cutting of pharmacies as they can do routine tasks that is usually done by pharmacists or aides. Experience in this job leads to other higher opportunities such as supervisory position in the current workplace. Getting more knowledge through additional training and higher education attainment will definitely improve the opportunities that this job can open to.