The Most In-demand Long term Care Pharmacy Jobs

Whether you’re just getting started in a career path or looking for a change of pace from retail pharmacy, long term care pharmacy jobs offer a diverse range of opportunities to match varied levels of expertise and education. As the population of older Americans continues to increase, long term care pharmacy jobs will become even more in demand. Those in this field maintain particular focus on the geriatric population’s unique needs and challenges, which include large numbers of comorbidities and complex medication regimens. While the actual job titles vary amongst long term care centers, there are four main types of long term care pharmacy jobs.  

Long term Care Pharmacy Jobs: Pharmacy Technician

Allowable responsibilities for pharmacy technicians, including certified pharmacy technicians, vary by state law. On the whole, pharmacy technicians provide valuable support for pharmacists in a long term care setting. Pharmacy technicians have experience with medication terminology and typically:
  • Receive written prescription requests and verify that information is complete
  • Maintain proper storage for medications, including temperature controls and security
  • Fill bottles with prescribed medications and prepare/affix prescription bottle labels
  • Answer simple questions over the phone or in person, referring clinical questions to the pharmacist
  • File hard copies of prescriptions that have been filled
In some long term care pharmacies, pharmacy technicians may also play a role in billing, including submitting claims to insurance, Medicaid and Medicare and invoicing residents for copayment or coinsurance costs. [Tweet “Looking for #longtermcare #pharmacyjobs? Here are four of the most in-demand.”]

Long term Care Pharmacy Jobs: Dispensing Pharmacist

Dispensing pharmacists, who typically hold a PharmD, play a significant role in the day-to-day management of a long term care pharmacy. These pharmacists supervise the dispensing of medications, including the preparation of compounded medications and intravenous solutions. In addition, dispensing pharmacists help perform safety checks of all medications dispensed, helping ensure medications are dispensed to the correct resident and checking prescription orders against dispensing guidelines from pharmaceutical companies. The dispensing pharmacist is responsible for the accuracy of all dispensed medications.  

Long term Care Pharmacy Jobs: Consultant Pharmacist

Consultant pharmacists, who also hold a PharmD, typically don’t directly play a role in dispensing. Instead, they serve in a more clinical role, providing medication-related expertise and information. Consultant pharmacists evaluate prescriptions for a number of factors, including whether the medication, dosage and route of administration are appropriate based on the resident’s age, gender, overall health and other factors. In addition, these pharmacists review each resident’s overall medication regimen on a regular basis and provide recommendations to optimize the regimen, as needed. In some centers, the consultant and dispensing pharmacist roles may be performed by the same pharmacist.  

Long term Care Pharmacy Jobs: Director/Pharmacist in Charge

In addition to dispensing and consultant pharmacists, long term care pharmacies also have a director of pharmacy or a pharmacist in charge (PIC). These pharmacists hold an advanced degree in pharmacy and oversee all pharmacy services, including policies and procedures. The director or PIC is responsible for ensuring the pharmacy complies with all facility-specific, state and federal, and regulatory body (such as the FDA and DEA) guidelines. He or she oversees all pharmacy personnel and provides necessary training related to quality and patient satisfaction. Grane Rx offers opportunities to advance your career in the challenging and fast-paced long term care industry. ]]>

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