What is the pharmacy technician's role concerning controlled substances?

The appropriate role of a pharmacy technician concerning controlled substances includes managing the inventory of these substances. This encompasses tasks such as tracking the stock levels of controlled substances, ensuring they are stored securely, and documenting any discrepancies that may occur. Managing inventory is crucial in preventing diversion and ensuring compliance with both state and federal regulations regarding controlled substances.

Other roles such as providing counseling to patients, prescribing controlled substances, or calling in prescriptions would typically fall outside the scope of a pharmacy technician's responsibilities. Counseling is usually performed by licensed pharmacists who have the necessary training and authority to provide medication-related advice to patients. Similarly, the authority to prescribe controlled substances is restricted to licensed healthcare providers, such as physicians or advanced practice nurses, and is not a function of pharmacy technicians. While calling in prescriptions may sometimes fall under pharmacy practices, technicians generally do not have the legal authority to call in prescriptions for controlled substances. Thus, managing the inventory of controlled substances rightly aligns with the technician's capabilities and responsibilities.