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Army MOS 68Q Pharmacy Specialist

Keeping Army pharmacies running smoothly is an incredibly important task. It’s up to the pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to handle their operation. Patients and physicians depend on Army pharmacies to fill their prescriptions accurately. As an integral member of the pharmaceutical team, the Pharmacy Specialist, under the direction of a pharmacist, prepares and dispenses prescribed drugs and medicines, while also maintaining pharmacy supplies and records. The Pharmacy Specialist is primarily responsible for preparing, controlling and issuing pharmaceutical products and supervising pharmacy activities. In addition to assisting a Pharmacy Officer, some of your duties as a Pharmacy Specialist may include:

Prepare, control and issue pharmaceutical products
Under close supervision, manually or using a computerized system: receive, interpret, compound, manufacture, fill, label,
issue and file prescription, bulk drug, sterile product and/or unit dose orders
Evaluate orders to verify dosage, dosage regimen and quantity to be dispensed
Calculate and annotate proper dosage
Evaluate completed orders to ensure integrity of final product
Verify patient eligibility for receipt of medication
Provide instructions to patients regarding medication consumption and side effects
Perform quality control checks on medications
Issue medication to patients, wards, clinics and other using agencies

Training
Job training for a Pharmacy Specialist requires nine weeks of Basic Training, where you’ll learn basic Soldiering skills, and 19 weeks of Advanced Individual Training, including practice in pharmaceutical tasks. Some of the skills you’ll learn are:

Pharmacy laws and regulations
Drug types and uses
Mixing and dispensing drugs

Advanced Responsibilities
Advanced level Pharmacy Specialist provides guidance, supervises and trains other Soldiers within the same discipline. As an advanced level Pharmacy Specialist, you may be involved in:

Prepare, control and issue pharmaceutical products to include chemotherapeutics
Evaluate sterile products and orders to include calculations, identification of drug interactions and drug compatibilities Maintain pharmacy system database

Related Civilian Jobs
The skills you learn as a Pharmacy Specialist will help prepare you for a future as a pharmacy helper at pharmacies, drug stores, hospitals or clinics. You’ll perform tasks such as storing supplies, cleaning equipment and delivering prescriptions while under the direction of pharmacists. With additional study and the completion of a written exam, you may qualify for certification as a pharmacy technician.

Related Army Positions
Health Care Specialist (68W)
Medical Laboratory Specialist (68K)
Operating Room Specialist (68D)
Preventive Medicine Specialist (68S)
Radiology Specialist (68P)

See Promotion Points for MOS 68Q