PHARMACY TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION  
                                                           CONTENT OUTLINE......... 
                                                                                 
              I.  Assisting the Pharmacist in Serving Patients:  66% of Examination 
              Includes activities related to traditional pharmacy prescription dispensing and medication distribution. 
               
                       1.  Receive prescription/medication order from patient/patient’s representative, prescriber, or other healthcare 
                       professionals. 
                       2.  At the direction of the pharmacist, assist in obtaining from the patient/patient’s representative such                      
                       information as diagnosis or desired therapeutic outcome, medication use, allergies, adverse reactions,                          
                       medical history, psychosocial history, visual impairment, physical disability, and reimbursement mechanisms. 
                       3.  Assess prescription/medication order for completeness, correctness, authenticity, and legality. 
                       4.  At the direction of the pharmacist, assist in obtaining from prescriber and/or other health care professionals 
                       important information 
                       5.  Update the medical record/patient profile with such information as medication history, allergies, medication 
                       duplication, and/or drug-disease, drug-drug, drug-laboratory interactions. 
                       6.  Process the prescription/medication order 
                       7.  Storing and delivering medication to patient/patient’s representative 
                       8.  Determine charges and obtain compensation for services. 
                       9.  Provide supplemental information, as indicated (e.g. patient package inserts, computer information and videos) 
                        
              II. Medication Distribution and Inventory Control Systems: 22% of Examination 
              Includes activities related to medication and supply purchasing, inventory control, and preparation and distribution of 
              medications according to approved policies and procedures. 
               
                       1.  Place orders for pharmaceuticals, durable medical equipment, devices, and supplies 
                       2.  Receive goods and verify specifications on original purchase orders 
                       3.  Place pharmaceuticals, durable medical equipment, devices, and supplies in inventory under proper storage 
                       conditions 
                       4.  Remove from inventory expired/discontinued/slow-moving pharmaceuticals, durable medical equipment, 
                       devices, and supplies, and document actions taken 
                       5.  Recalls and document actions taken 
                       6.  Identify supplies to be ordered (i.e. “want book”) 
                       7.  Communicate changes in product availability (i.e. formulary changes, recalls)  
                       8.  Maintain policies and procedures to deter theft and/or drug diversion 
                       9.  Maintain a record of controlled substances received, stored, and removed from inventory 
                       10. Maintain recordkeeping systems for repackaging, recalls, and returns of supplies 
                       11. Compound medications in anticipation of prescriptions/medication orders (i.e. bulk compounding) 
                       12. Prepackage finished dosage forms for dispensing 
                       13. Collect and analyze data on the quality of pharmacy products and services 
               
              III.  Operations: 12% of Examination 
              Includes activities related to the administrative processes for the pharmacy practice. 
               
                       1.  Coordinate communications throughout the practice center and/or service area 
                       2.  Participate in meetings to obtain feedback regarding the performance in the practice center 
                       3.  Monitor for compliance with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and professional standards 
                       4.  Implement and monitor policies and procedures for sanitation, hazardous waste handling, and infection 
                            control 
                       5.  Perform and record routine sanitation, maintenance, and calibration of equipment 
                       6.  Maintain a manual or computer based information system  
               
               
               
               
               
                    Copyright 2007                                                                                                  V1V2 
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                               3
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
     “What is the definition of a prescription?” 
      
        A prescription is an order for a medication issued by a licensed medical practitioner. 
        For example:  Physician, dentist, veterinarian, podiatrist, physician assistant, and nurse  
        practitioner. 
         
        A prescription is required if the medicine requires medical supervision.  The drug is unsafe  
        without medical supervision. 
      
        A prescription medication is required by the manufacturer to print on the stock bottle: 
           “Caution, Federal Law prohibits dispensing without a prescription.”  
      
     A prescription may come in different forms: 
     - Written form from the office 
     - The office may telephone in the prescription (Only RPhs and Interns are allowed to take) No CIIs 
     - The office is allowed to fax in the prescription (with an exception: CIIs) 
     - The office may transmit through the computer (electronic prescriptions) NO CIIs 
      
      
     A prescription is different from a medication order in that: A prescription is an order given to the patient 
     to have filled and a medication order is medications written by the physician in an institution (hospital) 
     and kept on one sheet of paper in the patients file for the whole hospital staff to use.  See example on 
     page 8. 
      
      
     Technicians may do refill requests.  They must provide the following information to the doctor’s office: 
      
     1.  Pharmacy name and Phone Number 
     2. Patient name and Date of Birth 
     3. Drug Name, Strength, and Quantity 
     4. Directions to confirm no change 
     5. Date of the last refill 
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
                          4