Have you ever wondered what goes on behind a pharmacy counter? Or, actually goes into filling a single prescription? Filling a prescription is more than just slapping a label on an amber vial and giving it out. Receiving the prescription, inputting the information into the system, filling the required dosage, visually verifying by the pharmacist, and dispensing the prescription to the patient are the five major steps in filling a prescription.
As a pharmacy technician, you will need to collect the patient’s prescription. In addition, you should check with the patient to make sure you have all correct information on file. You then need to be sure to have the actual medication in stock at the pharmacy. Be sure to give the patient a realistic wait time to come back to pick up the medication.
Next, you will input the prescription information into the computer system. Begin with scanning the prescription in under the correct patient’s profile. Then, type out all the important data entry from the prescription. Go back and complete a nine-point check to make sure all information entered is correct.
After receiving and inputting the prescription, it will then need to be filled. You will need to have a handheld and a prescription bag to begin. First, scan the bag, and the medication that needs to be filled should pop up on the handheld screen. Now, proceed to the correct aisle where the medication is located, and scan the stock bottle. You then need to count how much medicine is needed. Then, pour the medication in an amber vial and label it with an auxiliary label. Next, place in the prescription bag and return stock bottle to the shelf.
Now that the prescription has been filled, the pharmacist will need to check for errors. This process is called visual verification. In this step, the pharmacist will look over the original prescription and compare it to the filled