What Do Pharmacy Technician Do?
Occupation Description Prepare medications under the direction of a pharmacist. May measure, mix, count out, label, and record amounts and dosages of medications according to prescription orders.
Life As a Pharmacy Technician
- Prepack bulk medicines, fill bottles with prescribed medications, and type and affix labels.
- Order, label, and count stock of medications, chemicals, or supplies and enter inventory data into computer.
- Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.
- Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information.
- Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients.
- Operate cash registers to accept payment from customers.
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Skills Needed to be a Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy Technicians state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Other Pharmacy Technician Job Titles
- Lead Pharmacy Technician (Lead Pharmacy Tech)
- Pharmacist Assistant
- Pharmacy Laboratory Technician
- Lead Pharmacy Tech, Certified Pharmacy Technician (Lead Pharmacy Tech, CPhT)
- Compounding Technician
Pharmacy Technician Job Outlook
In the United States, there were 402,500 jobs for Pharmacy Technician in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 11.8% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 47,600 new jobs for Pharmacy Technician by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 37,500 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Pharmacy Technician are Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Illinois, or Wisconsin. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Pharmacy Technician
The typical yearly salary for Pharmacy Technicians is somewhere between $22,740 and $48,010.
Pharmacy Technicians who work in Alaska, Washington, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.
How much do Pharmacy Technicians make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $30,040 |
| Alaska | $43,150 |
| Arizona | $35,090 |
| Arkansas | $29,640 |
| California | $42,610 |
| Colorado | $36,880 |
| Connecticut | $34,530 |
| Delaware | $34,470 |
| District of Columbia | $39,980 |
| Florida | $32,090 |
| Georgia | $30,240 |
| Hawaii | $38,720 |
| Idaho | $35,920 |
| Illinois | $33,140 |
| Indiana | $31,160 |
| Iowa | $32,560 |
| Kansas | $32,940 |
| Kentucky | $29,270 |
| Louisiana | $32,700 |
| Maine | $31,690 |
| Maryland | $33,880 |
| Massachusetts | $37,110 |
| Michigan | $32,660 |
| Minnesota | $37,670 |
| Mississippi | $31,440 |
| Missouri | $32,090 |
| Montana | $34,780 |
| Nebraska | $33,270 |
| Nevada | $37,620 |
| New Hampshire | $32,370 |
| New Jersey | $33,070 |
| New Mexico | $33,710 |
| New York | $34,640 |
| North Carolina | $30,890 |
| North Dakota | $39,770 |
| Ohio | $30,500 |
| Oklahoma | $30,790 |
| Oregon | $40,920 |
| Pennsylvania | $30,000 |
| Rhode Island | $37,410 |
| South Carolina | $31,530 |
| South Dakota | $32,720 |
| Tennessee | $32,980 |
| Texas | $34,290 |
| Utah | $37,190 |
| Vermont | $34,070 |
| Virginia | $32,370 |
| Washington | $42,470 |
| West Virginia | $28,650 |
| Wisconsin | $32,750 |
| Wyoming | $37,460 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Pharmacy Technicians
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Pharmacy Technicians may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Database software
- MEDITECH software
- Medical condition coding software
- Point of sale POS software
- Inventory management software
- Pyxis MedStation software
- Patient record maintenance software
- Prescription processing software
- Label-making software
How to Become a Pharmacy Technician
Learn what Pharmacy Technician education requirements there are.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Pharmacy Technician?
Where do Pharmacy Technicians Work?
Pharmacy Technicians work in the following industries:
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those thinking about becoming a Pharmacy Technician might also be interested in the following careers:
Those who work as a Pharmacy Technician sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
- Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers
- Respiratory Therapy Technicians
- Cytotechnologists
References:
Image Credit: Ryan Conroy via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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