Pharmacy Technician Career
Under the supervision of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians help prepare medications for customers. The technician may measure, mix, or count out the medication and then label the item with information that includes the amount and dosage. Administrative and customer service duties are also usually performed by these individuals. If a pharmacy aide is not on staff, the technician may stock shelves, answer the phone, and operate the cash register. Technicians work in a pharmacy setting and can increasingly be found in retail pharmacy environments.
Pharmacy Technician Career Assessment
Take our Pharmacy Technician career assessment. This 30 question quiz let’s you know if you’re cut out for a career as a pharmacy technician by analyzing your abilities, skills, and interests.
Pharmacy Technician Snapshot
Pharmacy technicians work alongside Pharmacists. They are often employed at hospitals and other businesses which sell prescription medications. Individuals thinking about a career as a pharmacy technician should be willing to spend a lot of time standing and may be required to work evenings and weekends.
The following outlines more information on a career as a pharmacy technician (statistics from Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):
is the average earnings for pharmacy technicians per year.
increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.
have some college, but no degree.
Pharmacy Technician Education
Most states do not currently have formal requirements for becoming a pharmacy technician. However, formal training is available and may help gain employment. Pharmacy technician training programs educate their students in the laboratory and classroom setting. It is also possible to gain a certification as a pharmacy technician. This type of certification will only help to secure employment, but the costs of obtaining one should be weighed with the potential earnings of this profession.
Pharmacy Technician Job Duties
Pharmacy Technicians help provide prescription medication to their patients. They often count pills and label the medication bottles. Pharmacy Technicians also help run the pharmacy by answering the phone, helping explain medications to patients, and taking payments.
Pharmacy Technician Salaries
The average pay for Pharmacy Technicians ranges from $20,950 to $45,030 an hour according to the Occupational Employment Statistics survey program. Individuals who are certified may earn more as will those who work weekends and evenings. Learn more about pharmacy technician salaries.
Pharmacy Technician Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment to increase faster than average for pharmacy technicians and it characterizes job opportunities as good, especially for individuals with certification, formal training, or prior experience. An employment increase of 9% is expected between 2014 and 2024.
Pharmacy Technician Career
Find out the tools pharmacy technicians work with along with the required abilities from the table below.
Pharmacy Technician Skill Set: | Required Abilities: | Tools Used by Pharmacy Technicians: | Typical Work Activities: |
• Active Listening • Reading Comprehension • Speaking • Critical Thinking | • Near Vision • Oral Comprehension • Oral Expression • Written Comprehension | • Dose Machines • Laboratory Balances • Laboratory Blenders • Sterile Filling Machines | • Getting Information • Interacting with Computers • Working with the Public • Processing Information |
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