As a Pharmacy Technician, filling a prescription is not as simple as you think it may be. When filling a prescription, the technician must be very careful because we could accidently grab the wrong bottle or the patient may not be on a particular medication. We must first check the prescription, for any possible errors and also to make sure it is real. Then, you start the process by inputting the prescription into the system and finding the correct drug. Next, we make sure that it is the same brand. Lastly, we bill the insurance company, count the medication, and label the bottles. The first process as a Technician during the fill process is inputting the script into the computer and getting the correct stock bottle. While inputting the drug into the computer it takes attention to detail you must check several things. You start by checking the legitimacy of the prescription and the date. Controlled substances cannot be filled one month after they have been written, while regular prescriptions can be held for one year. The next thing you must check is the doctor who wrote the prescription, and the instructions for the drug. Once all of this is done you may move onto the next step in the process. …show more content…
There are many reasons that we must make sure that the brand is the same. The number one reason is due to the fact that a change in brands can have an effect on the patient’s levels during testing. The next biggest reason is due to the fact that the change in brands also comes with change in color, shape, and sometimes size this causes confusion for the patient’s. So when filling a prescription if at possible we as technicians try our hardest to make sure that we use the same brand that the patient received on their last
...vacy screen on the computer and/or turning the computer away so customers cannot see what’s on the screen, and use a secure network to receive new prescriptions or request refills. A patient must be notified and give authorization to allow a list of their drugs be given to a marketing company. The authorization must say what the data disclosure and use is being planned for and the date when the authorization will expire. In a community practice a pharmacist cannot discuss treatment with anyone unless patient signs authorization. In an institutional practice the patient can call the pharmacist and give permission to talk to a doctor if able to speak. In case of an emergency, such as a heart attack or car accident, the doctor can call the pharmacist to get the information without patient consent. A patient must give a written authorization in a community pharmacy.
Pharmacy Technicians: A Specialized Discourse Community Overview of pharmacy technicians: Do they fit the criteria of a discourse group? When doctors prescribe medication for their patients, a local retail pharmacy is most likely to be utilized to fill the order. However, there is a growing population of older Americans that are no longer able to live independently and must reside in nursing homes or assisted living facilities. In order for this vulnerable population to receive their medications, a different kind of pharmacy is needed, these are known as LTC, long term care pharmacies. Within these specialized pharmacies there are highly trained employees called CPhTs, certified pharmacy technicians who are overseen by state licensed RPHs, otherwise known as pharmacists.
Once a patient meets all the qualifications, submits the request to a physician, and is approved by two physicians, the patient can move forward with this process. Typically, a physician prescribes the patient a medication at a specific dose, essentially aiding the patient in overdosing. Once the patient receives the medication, they are allowed to take it where they feel comfortable, though they are advised not to do so in public. Patients also must take the medication in the state they receive the medication in and reside in; if a patient takes their medication outside of the state they’ve been prescribed it in, they will not be protected by law and their death will be ruled a suicide. One in three patients who receive their prescription end up never taking it.
Buppert (2016) went through many tips for providers when prescribing controlled substances. While, you and I may not consider prescribing a large dose of opioids without doing a physical exam, this particular nurse practitioner did that very thing multiple times. Buppert (2016) also discussed the importance of using drug-monitoring databases. By using these databases a provider can prevent prescribing medication to a patient
Some method such as audits, chart reviews, computer monitoring, incident report, bar codes and direct patient observation can improve and decrease medication errors. Regular audits can help patient’s care and reeducate nurses in the work field to new practices. Also reporting of medication errors can help with data comparison and is a learning experience for everyone. Other avenues that has been implemented are computerized physician order entry systems or electronic prescribing (a process of electronic entry of a doctor’s instructions for the treatment of patients under his/her care which communicates these orders over a computer network to other staff or departments) responsible for fulfilling the order, and ward pharmacists can be more diligence on the prescription stage of the medication pathway. A random survey was done in hospital pharmacies on medication error documentation and actions taken against pharmacists involved. A total of 500 hospital were selected in the United States. Data collected on the number of medication error reported, what types of errors were documented and the hospital demographics. The response rate was a total of 28%. Practically, all of the hospitals had policies and procedures in place for reporting medication errors.
Physicians write a prescription order for inpatients, the prescription orders are sent to the central pharmacy. Pharmacists check the prescription order and give an okay for pharmacy technicians to place drugs in unit-does carts. The carts have drawers with patient’s medications in it. Each drawer is labeled with the patient’s name, identification number, ward, and room number. The a medication chart includes: the Rx number, generic name of the drug along with strength number, how much the patient need to take, directions, PARs, and number of medications need to return to the pharmacy. Pharmacy technicians finish filling the medications for each patient and place in the drawers. Pharmacists check each drawer’s medications for accuracy in case
Before a person is prescribed this pill, the patient is supposed to undergo a complete physical examination, the patients record should be contained with detailed documentation of the nature and intensity of the pain, current and past treatment, other illnesses, and their history of drug and alcohol use.
Tracking the purpose of each prescriptions allows you to watch and ensure that each drug is doing what it's supposed to. If you see that a medication is not working to treat symptoms, you can then go back to the doctor and ask for a different dosage or medication.
Misplacing a prescription pad must be of great concern to the prescriber. Evidence has shown that these forms can be used fraudulently to access recreational drugs illegally either for personal consumption or to be trade in the underground market (Jain, 2014; Kondro, 2010) As drug misuse continues to be a serious health issue in the region where I practice, it is essential to be vigilant in adhering to efficient procedures that minimize the likelihood of prescription theft and misuse.
medications is more than the act of getting drugs to a patient. The delivery of medication is directly tied to the charge for the medication. Thus the responsibility for charging or crediting medication belongs to technicians. This aspect of their job is strictly governed by federal regulations. These laws hold the technician directly responsible for the accuracy of a patient’s account’s charge and credit transactions. Because every dose is related to a specific day and time, when technicians credit they must apply that change to the corresponding dose. Assignificant as accuracy is to the patient’s account, accuracy in the making of their medications is even more important.
Giving out the wrong medication, or improper dosages can potentially be fatal to patients. Pharmacy technicians must be willing to take on this risk and do their work as carefully and accurately as possible.
A pharmacy technician will start their day by preparing their facility or pharmacy ready for business. This procedure includes turning on equipment such as computers, scales, printers and fax machines. They must also wipe down or sterilize the counter tops, scales, pill counting trays, and other medication measuring devices. This prevents bacteria or any type of contamination. Pharmacy technicians require very good social skills because you’re conversing with customers or patients every day. They greet their customer and take their papers for their perception and enter crucial information in to a type of database to keep records of patients and medications. Then the technician prepares the medications and packages it correctly for the customer.
are professionally qualified to prepare and dispense medicinal drugs.” Only the pharmacist may dispense the medication (Pharmacy Career Options). To prepare and dispense, the pharmacists must count and pour accurately (Pharmacy Career Options). Special instructions for this process include special storage, packaging, accurate labeling, and counting (Pharmacy Career Options).
First, here is some important background information about Pharmacists. A Pharmacist is someone who is trained and licensed to distribute medicinal drugs and to advise on their use. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook Pharmacists do all of the following: "Fill prescriptions, verify proper amounts of medication to give to patients, check whether the prescription will interact negatively with other drugs that a patient is taking or conditions the patient has, instruct patients on how to and when to take a prescribed medicine, Advise patients on potential side effects they may experience from taking the medicine, Advise patients about general health topics, such as diet, exercise, managing stress, and on other issues, such as what equipment or supplies would be best for a health problem, Keep records and do other administrative tasks, Complete insurance forms and work with insurance companies to be sure that patients get the medicine they need, Teach other healthcare practitioners about proper medication therapies for patients, and lastly oversee the work of pharmacy technicians and pharmacists training."() Some pharmacists participate in compounding, where they create medications by mixing ingredients themselves. Pharmacists tha...
Firstly, the main role of a pharmacist is to dispense medicines to their patients according to the prescription given. Before this, they have to ensure that they delivering the right drug, the strength and dosage of the medicine are appropriate, as well as ensuring the medication is safety and can work effectively in the human body. (Swanson, 2005)