Are you interested in a career in the medical or pharmaceutical field? Working as a pharmaceutical technician could be a great way to get started. However, before you jump in to take on this career, you should learn more about it. Below, we will discuss the job duties and responsibilities of a pharmacy technician as well as other factors to consider. Check it out!
Pharmacy Tech Job Description, Duties, and Necessary Qualifications
Under a pharmacist’s supervision, a pharmacy technician assembles drugs for prescriptions, gives medications to customers, and provides information to patients about their medications. Other job duties include calling doctors for prescription refills, handling cash register operations, and resolving customer questions and concerns. Working as a pharmacy tech also requires you to keep detailed records of medications and produce labels for prescriptions.
To be a pharmacy technician, you need a high school diploma or the equivalent. While further education is not required, many employers like to hire someone who has attended a pharmacy technology program.
What skills are necessary for succeeding as a pharmacy tech? Above, we discussed the job duties of a pharmacy tech. If you want to be able to complete those job duties and excel as a pharmacy technician, you must have the following skills.
- Customer Service Skills – As discussed above, the primary job duty of a pharmacy tech is to hand out prescriptions to customers. You will need excellent customer service skills to handle these transactions professionally. Pharmacy techs dispense medications, which can be a stressful and emotional thing for many people. You will need to be considerate of the customers you assist and help them to the best of your ability.
- Listening Skills – Listening skills are also essential if you want to work as a pharmacy technician. Customers may have questions or concerns when it comes to their prescription, and you need to listen to what they have to say and take appropriate action.
- Attention to Detail – Working with medication and prescriptions is a serious business. It is essential that you pay attention to detail because you do not want to make a mistake when filling prescriptions or writing out labels for medications. Errors in this field can cause grave health concerns, making attention to detail crucial.
- Organizational Skills – Organization will also be essential as a pharmacy tech as you will be juggling medications, records, and customer questions. Staying organized helps ensure you don’t make any mistakes or errors.
- Efficiency – When you are working as a pharmacy technician, there will be many times when you have to work quickly and efficiently. There may be a rush with many people in line to receive medication, and you will need to work efficiently to give people what they need in a timely fashion. As you can see, being a pharmacy technician can be a rewarding but, at times, demanding job. It requires several skills to be successful.
Is This a Good Career for You?
Whether or not becoming a pharmacy technician is a good option for your future, is entirely up to you, and while you should not solely base your decision on a potential paycheck, income and job outlook do play an important role when looking for a career.
Most pharmacy technicians work full-time hours, and some may have to work nights and weekends depending on the demands of their place of employment. As a pharmacy tech, you could work at a pharmacy, a general merchandise store, or even a hospital. Your wage will depend partially on where you are working. However, according to BLS.gov, the median annual wage for pharmacy technicians is $31,750 as of May 2017, and the highest ten percent of pharmacy techs earn around $46,980.
When it comes to the job outlook of pharmacy technicians, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says that employment for this position is expected to grow 12 percent from 2016 to 2026. This growth projection is due to an anticipated increase in demand for pharmaceutical products and services. That also means there will be a demand for people to work in pharmacy positions, so this could be a career with potential.
If you think working as a pharmacy technician sounds like a good option for you? You should check out pharmacy tech school at FVI.
For more information about graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit our website: https://fvi.edu/consumer-information/.
