Pharmacy technicians: An essential part of Express Scripts® Pharmacy

Pharmacy technicians are vital to keeping Express Scripts^® Pharmacy running smoothly. Working alongside pharmacists and under their guidance, they support our patients along every step of the prescription journey.

From answering patients’ non-clinical questions to flagging inconsistencies with prescriptions to making sure medications are stored properly, our pharmacy technicians do so much.

“Being a pharmacy technician isn’t just a job,” said Tania Davis, a front-end pharmacy technician in Fairfield, Ohio. “It’s a passion for helping others, a dedication to medication safety, and a commitment to making a positive impact on patients’ lives every day.”

At Express Scripts^® Pharmacy, our pharmacy technicians span three areas of focus: front-end pharmacy needs, fulfillment, and patient care. Let’s take a closer look at each.

Front-end pharmacy technicians

Our front-end pharmacy technicians often serve as the first touchpoint when we receive a prescription. Their daily responsibilities include:

• Entering prescription information completely and accurately for pharmacists to review
• Working with pharmacists when something is unclear with a prescription
• Helping update and maintain patient health profiles under the supervision of a pharmacist

Fulfillment pharmacy technicians

Our fulfillment pharmacy technicians locate, label, and pack medications for patients, which are then reviewed by pharmacists before they’re sent out the door. Other job duties include:

• Ensuring proper storage of all medications
• Operating and maintaining automated dispensing machines and robotics under the supervision of a pharmacist
• Keeping inventory of all medications and pharmacy records as directed by the pharmacist in charge

Shaheen Akhtar, a pharmacy technician in St. Louis, said her husband and parents were Express Scripts^® Pharmacy patients, so she always puts the same level of care into each order as she would for her family.

“I know how grateful our patients are,” Akhtar said.

Patient care technicians

Patient care technicians are pharmacy technicians who are entirely focused on talking to patients. They partner with our pharmacists to answer patients’ non-clinical questions. Responsibilities include:

• Updating patient records when there are accessibility needs (i.e. Braille labeling, TTY communications, large-type labels)
• Assisting customer service representatives with expedited prescription processing for urgent scenarios
• Helping with medication replacements if needed

“I enjoy coming to work every day and offering support to patients,” said Lisa Pope-Freitas, a patient care technician in Arizona. “There’s nothing better than solving a problem and putting a patient’s mind at ease.”