Pharmacy Technician Job Requirements and Positions in 2024

From educational qualifications to on-the-job skills, there’s a lot to learn before you can work in this in-demand field.

In this information, we’ll break down everything you need to know about becoming a pharmacy technician.

From the training required to the daily tasks involved, we’ll give you the inside scoop on this career path. So let’s find out what it takes to become a certified pharmacy technician!

Pharmacy Technician Job Requirements

Understanding the employment criteria is critical while pursuing a career as a pharmacy technician responsibilities:

1. Accepting written prescriptions or refill requests from patients and evaluating information for completeness and accuracy.

2. Recording medical histories while maintaining confidentiality and compliance with HIPAA regulations.

3. Delivering quality customer service to patients, responding to inquiries, questions, or requests, and referring them to the pharmacist for medical information.

4. Verifying the accuracy of patient information.

5. Counting prescription medication, filling prescriptions, and typing and attaching medication labels.

6. Performing inventory audits and purchasing supplies and medication.

7. Process patient insurance.

8. The pharmacy technician has many duties other than filling prescriptions. They also perform monthly inventory counts, file paperwork, and stock inventory.

When an order comes in, the manifest will be checked for accuracy, and then the medications must be stocked on the shelves.

9. Every month, the entire inventory has to be checked for expired medications. Medications that are near expiring are shipped back to the pharmaceutical company.

Supplies such as pill bottles, bags, and labels have to be ordered. Medications have to be ordered weekly. The shelves have to be organized and cleaned regularly.

10. Patient information must be carefully stored or disposed of. Due to privacy regulations, even the trash must be properly packaged and disposed of. The pharmacy technician is responsible for taking care of these duties as well.

Pharmacy Technician Requirements

• A high school diploma or equivalent.

• A pharmacy technician certification.

• Excellent communication skills.

• The ability to use a computer for day-to-day tasks.

• Basic math skills for counting medications.

• Customer service experience.

• Experience in a fast-paced work environment.

Pharmacy Tech Skills You Will Need to be Accepted

As you can see, there’s more to the work of a pharmacy tech than you might expect. So what skills will you need to be successful?

Let’s take a closer look at some of the top transferrable skills and abilities you’ll need and how they’re applied:

1. Communication

Pharmacy techs communicate with pharmacists and doctors when taking prescription orders. They also have to listen carefully to customers’ needs and questions to potentially direct them to the pharmacist.

2. Problem Solving

Pharmacy techs should have the maturity to solve conflicts between patients, insurance companies, and co-workers.

3. Organization 

Pharmacy techs balance duties delegated by pharmacists like stocking shelves, and keeping inventory while serving patients and customers.

4. Mathematical Skills 

Filling prescriptions and compounding medications require a strong understanding of necessary math concepts.

5. Detail Oriented

Serious health problems can result from mistakes with prescription types, amounts, or interactions. Though pharmacists are directly responsible for the safety of the medications, pharmacy techs are the first line of defense for these risks.

Pharmacy Technician Positions

Job Description:

As a Retail pharmacy Technician, customer service is paramount. Considering that over 3/4 of pharmacy technicians work in retail, interpersonal skills are a must.

In a hospital that is also required, though. The technician is the first person a patient will speak with as they drop off their prescription.

Sometimes prescriptions are collected by phone directly from the physician’s office or through special applications and email. The billing information is also taken at this point in the process.

Once the information written on the prescription is entered into the computer, the technician will pull the medication from the shelf and dispense it.

Occasionally in a retail setting, a pharmacy assistant will be utilized. Since there is no schooling required to become an assistant, their scope of practice is much narrower than that of a technician.

Most of the time they will be responsible for tasks involving paperwork, as well as helping with purchases and putting away the orders for additional medication and supplies

One of the great advantages of this career is the ability to choose virtually any schedule you like – evenings, nights, weekends, or traditional 9 to 5.

A lot of technicians work part-time and combine this career with other employment, or (what happens more often), continuing education to transform into a pharmacist or any other healthcare career.

Duties of a Retail Pharmacist

• Intake of written and electronic prescriptions

• Billing insurance

• Compounding various topical creams/ointments, as well as oral liquids

• Accurately counting and dispensing medications

• Assisting customers with the purchase of their medications

Clinical Pharmacy Technician

Job Description:

A clinical pharmacy technician is a liaison between patients and other pharmacy clinicians. As a technician, your job duties are to ensure that the contact between the pharmacy staff and patients is effective.

And that the patients receive the correct prescriptions and advice on their care. You may also perform clerical duties such as keeping records, answering phones, and providing customer services, allowing the clinicians to focus on their job.

Requirements for the Position of a Clinical Pharmacy Technician

The qualifications needed for a career as a clinical pharmacy technician start with certification. Shorter training programs can take as little as 15 weeks.

However, a longer, two-year program can result in an associate degree instead of just a certificate. While a degree is optional, it significantly improves your job outlook.

This career requires excellent organizational and computer skills, as well as in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry.

Experience in the healthcare industry is not crucial, but most employers require a background in some type of customer service.

Job Responsibilities of a Clinical Pharmacy Technician

Interact with patients, providers, and vendors to produce accurate prescriptions and documentation.

• Explain and document instructions and goals for patients.

• Enter patient, drug, and provider data into information systems.

• Calculate dosages, refill dates, and inventory amounts.

• As of Mar 24, 2019, the average monthly payment for the Clinical Pharmacy Technician jobs category in the United States is $3,062 a month.

Awesome right? To recap, becoming a pharmacy technician requires a combination of education, training, and skills. You’ll need to complete a formal education program and pass an exam to become certified.

Once you’re on the job, you’ll need to have strong attention to detail, excellent customer service skills, and the ability to handle stress.

If you’re up for the challenge, a career as a pharmacy technician can be very rewarding. You’ll play an important role in the healthcare industry and help patients get the medication they need. So are you ready to pursue your new career?