Would it surprise you to know that not all individuals behind the counter at a pharmacy are pharmacists? They are actually more likely to be a pharmacy technician. This simple guide is about building a career as a pharmacy technician.
If you are searching for a career in healthcare, you will find that there are an ample number of opportunities available for pharmacy technicians. This is because our world relies on medications for chronic conditions and other health related issues, creating huge demand for pharmacy related positions.
If you are interested in learning more about building a career as a pharmacy technician, here is some information we will cover in our guide:
- What pharmacy technicians do
- Where pharm techs work and benefits of becoming a pharmacy technician
- Characteristics and skills needed to become a successful pharmacy technician
- Online schooling as a pharmacy technician
What is a Pharmacy Technician?
Pharmacy technicians play an integral role in the healthcare industry. They collect information from a health professional (pharmacist) to measure medications, package label prescriptions, and organize the inventory. They communicate with doctors to accept prescriptions and solve patient problems.
Retail pharmacy technicians also spend a huge part of their day providing customer care to patients. They explain insurance copayments, collect payments and answer questions if customers have them.
Where do Pharmacy Technicians work?
Since pharmacy technicians play a huge role in the healthcare industry, they are able to work in various environments. These include:
- Retail pharmacy
- Hospitals
- Pharmaceutical industry functions
- Rehabilitation centers
- Food and beverage stores
Skills and Characteristics Needed to Become a Successful Pharmacy Technician-
There are some important skills a pharmacy technician needs to possess: good communication skills, multitasking skills, and tech-savviness.
- Great communicators: Encountering patients every day is part of the job. A successful pharmacy technician must be a great communicator. They must be careful with handling drug names and correct patients’ details to other healthcare specialists.
- Multi-tasking skills: Pharmacy technicians need to pay close attention to detail. Providing the wrong dosage to a patient can end in dangerous health complications. A successful pharmacy technician should be able to multitask with administrative duties, handle customers face to face, and still provide good care for those customers. This means balancing both great service and math based tasks without a hitch.
- Tech-savviness: Advances in technology have played a huge role in the continued development of the healthcare industry. A passionate pharmacy technician must keep up with technology in order to do their job properly and efficiently. They should be up to date with the mobile applications, content SEO, lab equipment, and latest software used by their facility.
Benefits of Becoming a Pharmacy Technician
Pursuing healthcare as a career is known for having upsides, and becoming a pharmacy technician is no different. Here are some of the main benefits:
- Your work benefits people: While other jobs can feel unimportant— you work, go home, and the next day come back to do the same thing. But, as a pharmacy technician, your work benefits others too. Whether you are engaging in a friendly conversation with a customer or measuring medications, your job revolves around helping others and it does have an impact on their lives.
- Job opportunities: With the aging baby boomer population, improvements in pharmaceutical technology and products bring new cures and treatments to the industry. This means that now, more than ever, the pharmacy technician career path can lead to many different work environments. Whether it is a hospital, nursing homes, hospitals, or compounding pharmacies, there is huge demand and available opportunities for pharmacy technicians.
Online schooling for pharmacy technicians
As the healthcare industry grows, building a career as a pharmacy technician opens up a world of potential job opportunities. It offers you a chance to work in healthcare without performing any direct, clinical duties. However, you will need to have the knowledge to address your regular responsibilities properly.
Online schooling for pharmacy technicians is cost-effective and flexible. The modern digital learning environment makes it much easier to pursue your dream career as a pharmacy technician and still get the great quality education that would come from an in-person program.
