7

Community
Pharmacy
Dispensing

Learning Objectives

1 Outline the overall processes of community dispensing and a pharmacy technician’s general responsibilities within them. (Sections 7.1, 7.2)

2 Identify the parts of a prescription. (Section 7.3)

3 Summarize the various types of prescriptions and the step-by-step procedures to fill them. (Section 7.3)

4 Translate the most commonly used pharmacy abbreviations. (Section 7.4)

5 Describe how the pharmacy data management system interfaces online with an external health information network and databases, and with internal software for varied pharmacy and business functions. (Section 7.4)

6 Paraphrase how to build a patient profile, and discuss the importance of updating current information about drug and supplement use, allergies, adverse drug reactions, and insurance for medication reconciliation and following HIPAA-mandated guidelines. (Section 7.5)

7 Describe the process and importance of the Drug Utilization Review. (Section 7.6)

8 Identify the parts of a stock drug label, and know the importance of comparing National Drug Code numbers in medication selection and filling. (Section 7.7)

9 Discuss how automation is utilized along with a final check and verification by the pharmacist to minimize medication errors. (Section 7.7)

10 Identify three different NDC checks that help reduce the risk of medication errors. (Section 7.8)

11 Outline the different ways to educate a patient about their prescription using labels and medication guides. (Section 7.9)

12 Describe the steps a pharmacist will take when doing a final check on a prescription. (Section 7.10)

13 Summarize the aspects of patient prescription dispensing, including pre-pickup storage and pickup options. (Section 7.11)

14 Describe medication therapy management (MTM), Point-of-care testing, and other health services provided in a community pharmacy setting. (Section 7.12)

ASHP/ACPE Accreditation Standards

To view the ASHP/ACPE Accreditation Standards addressed in this chapter, refer to Appendix B.

According to the most recent data, almost three-quarters of pharmacy technicians practice in a retail pharmacy (sometimes called a community pharmacy) setting (over 200,000 of the 285,000 positions in the United States). Ideally, the retail pharmacy is and has been a place where local citizens come in and get their prescriptions filled by people they know and trust.

This chapter covers the critical role of the technician—in customer service, updating patient profiles, entering prescriptions into the profile, and accurately filling and dispensing new and refill prescriptions. The exact procedures outlined (as well as the pharmacy software) will vary between specific retail pharmacies, but the basic tasks are similar. You must learn these steps and this information, as these procedures will take up the majority of time as a pharmacy technician.