Pharmacy technicians are faced with new things every day; from customer service to new medications to insurance issues, the pharmaceutical field changes daily. Technicians are expected to keep up with everything in the industry and to provide pharmacists with the assistance they need. I was recently a pharmacy technician for four years, and it was an interesting and educational experience.
Customer Service
One of the main goals of a pharmacy tech is to serve the customer efficiently and accurately. You wouldn’t believe the range of issues people will bring to you. I have seen rashes on various body parts, been exposed to multiple dangerous diseases and heard just about every story in the book. Still, people will never cease to shock you. There will always be another crazy story, another outrageous question, another problem you have never face before.
New Medications
The health care industry is constantly involved in new developments. This can often lead to new medications being created. Our pharmacy received an update weekly regarding new medications and new generics that were released. When a customer comes up, they do not want to hear that you have never heard of their medications. This is their healthcare you’re dealing with! I made sure to keep up with new things so I could serve the customer well.
Insurance Issues
Insurance was regularly the most frustrating part of my job. Insurance is confusing to start with, plus it is constantly changing. At least half of all customers know little to nothing about their insurance. It is not necessarily their fault, it’s hard to piece through all that information. However, as a pharmacy tech, an important part of your duty is to know insurance. I often had to call insurance companies to deal with issues for patients. It was difficult at first, but before long I learned the basics of many different companies. Still, new issues and changes would always pop up for me to figure out.
In my four years as a pharmacy technician, I was faced with a variety of issues every day. It certainly keeps life interesting when you work in a field that changes and updates so often. Next time you go to have a prescription filled, remember to be patient with the technician. They are doing their best to keep up with many things to serve you and provide for you in the best way that they can.