JOB

Pharmacy technician

Most pharmacy technicians work at pharmacies, where prescriptions are accepted, over-the-counter medicines are dispensed, and instructions are given on their use. Pharmacy technicians also work in hospitals and companies in the pharmaceutical industry, where they participate in the research, production, distribution and sale of medicines and medical products. Pharmacy technician is a legally protected job title.

Pharmacy technicians also manage the distribution of medicines to wards in medical institutions and ensure that medicines are stored under the right conditions. Pharmacy technicians are also responsible for selecting drugs and liquids for drug and nutrient mixing and work in collaboration with pharmacists on mixing medicines.

Main tasks

• working counters in pharmacies and instructing on the use of health products
• mixing medicines for patients
• medicine dosing to patients
• taking care of product orders, receiving goods and putting away medicines from wholesalers
• communication with public institutions, such as due to co-payments

Competence requirements

As a pharmacy technician, you need to be able to provide advice on the use of over-the-counter medicines, nursing products and aids. It is important to have good computer skills and be able to use various specialized software programs that are used for registering, receiving and dispensing prescriptions. A pharmacy technician must also be able to provide first aid in the event of an accident or mishap.

Study

Pharmacy technology is a 4–5 year study program at the secondary school level, taught at School of Health at Fjölbrautaskólinn við Ármúla.

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