Florida Pharmacy Technician Certification Practice Test

Which of the following actions can a Pharmacy Technician legally perform?

1. Handling Schedule II (Narcotic) drugs

2. Counseling patients regarding the proper usage of their medication

3. Receiving refill requests from patients over the phone

4. Receiving oral prescriptions from prescribers

The correct answer is: Receiving refill requests from patients over the phone

A Pharmacy Technician can legally receive refill requests from patients over the phone because this task is considered a non-clinical role within the pharmacy setting. This function falls under routine operational duties, which allow technicians to facilitate the refill process without interpreting clinical information or making clinical judgments. It's important to note that while pharmacists are responsible for verifying and validating prescriptions, Pharmacy Technicians can handle the initial intake of refill requests directly from patients. They ensure that the request is logged and then pass the information along to the pharmacist for final approval. This role helps improve the efficiency of pharmacy operations while maintaining the safety and integrity of medication dispensing. In contrast, handling Schedule II drugs is a more restricted task, limited primarily to licensed pharmacists due to the legal ramifications and potential for abuse associated with these medications. Counseling patients about their medications also requires professional judgment and clinical knowledge, which are duties specifically designated to pharmacists. Lastly, receiving oral prescriptions from prescribers involves a complex set of legal and regulatory requirements that typically restrict this ability to pharmacists only, ensuring that patient safety and medication accuracy are prioritized in these transactions.