Are you thinking of becoming a pharmacy technician? If so then you’ve chosen a pretty outstanding career to immerse yourself in. If you haven’t really done the research, then there is a good chance you’re unsure as to why it’s a good idea, and even more importantly, unsure as to what a pharmacy technician does.
Before we get into it however, we would like to take some time to stress the difference between a job and a career. A job is simply something that you go to; it may be there one day and gone the next. There is almost no security in a job, but if you take it to the next level and turn it into a career, you certainly have a better chance.
A career is something that you study for; it is something that you work hard to earn and it is something that you can keep for the long term. The interesting thing about a career is that you can easily move between jobs with the set of skills that you’ve earned, ensuring that you will almost always be employed. In order to find yourself in a career you will likely need to take some courses and get some education under your belt – it’s not always going to be required, but if you want to become a pharmacy tech, then it is strongly recommended that you attend pharmacy tech schools first. Actually, it might even be required.
What Will you Do as a Pharmacy Technician?
So here’s the million dollar question you’ve been asking: what does a pharmacy technician actually do? The answer is a lot, actually. Primarily, a pharmacy technician will work with a pharmacist to help prepare and distribute prescription medication. Pharmacy technicians, like pharmacists proper, will work in both hospitals and pharmacies, and you will find yourself behind the counter quite a bit. Some of your responsibilities as a technician are going to include:
- Tame Prescriptions over the Phone/In Person
- Mix Medications
- Count Pills
- Measure Medications
- Label Bottles
- Give Instructions for Medicine
- Assist in Taking Payments
In the end, a pharmacy technician acts as a liaison between the public and pharmacists, setting up consultations, making recommendations, and generally helping out.
Necessary Job Skills
Before you go onto the job there are certain skills that you are going to need to have. You will talk to customers every single day, along with healthcare professionals, meaning you’ll have to have excellent customer service skills so that you can interact with those on the job. In addition to that you’re going to need excellent attention to detail along with organizational skills to help you, and finally, you’ll need to be highly organized.
This is not a comprehensive list of the skills that you are going to need, but you will find that there are plenty of other tips and tricks you pick up along the way. Now would be a great time to start getting ready for your career as a pharmacy technician – it’s a great way to get your foot into the door of the medical industry, or simply to build a great career.
