Pharmacy Technician Role in a Telepharmacy

Tele-pharmacy is the delivery of pharmaceutical care over the phone or internet communication to patients located in areas where they may not have direct contact with a pharmacist. A telepharmacy dispenses medicine to the patient after the prescription has been processed by a registered pharmacist from home or another pharmacy location. To ensure accurate and timely delivery of prescription, the telepharmacy is usually connected via software to a central pharmacy. A registered pharmacist in a central pharmacy site supervises a pharmacy technician at a remote telepharmacy. Modern equipment like audio–video internet conferencing tools and digital imaging cameras enable the pharmacist and the pharmacy technician to interact and talk in real time. The pharmacy technician at the remote site prepares the prescription drug for dispensing, including entering the prescription and patient information into the pharmacy system, preparing the container label, and filling the medication vial. The pharmacist communicates to the technician and verifies the technician’s work in real time over video conferencing. The pharmacy technician also sends digital images of the prescriber’s script, the medication’s original manufacturer container, the prepared label, and a tablet or capsule, if appropriate. The use of the digital images helps validate that the patient is receiving the correct medication at the correct dosage. The growth of telepharmacy is an example of how the pharmacy technician industry is rapidly growing in all areas of the country, especially in rural communities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the pharmacy technician industry is expected to grow by 31 percent by 2018, making this one of the most attractive job fields for those looking for work or looking to change careers. Interested individuals may get their training to be a registered pharmacy technician in approved and trusted schools like Meditec.