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Pharmacy technicians work under a licensed pharmacist’s supervision to dispense medications and assist customers. They usually work in pharmacies found in a grocery store, drug store, hospital, or another type of medical facility such as a nursing home.
Specific Job Duties
Specific pharmacy technician duties include:
- Counting the correct number of pills to fill a prescription
- Packaging and labeling prescriptions
- Processing the medication for a pharmacist’s verification
- Keeping the work environment clean and the equipment sterile
- Processing medical insurance claims
- Double checking prescriptions in order to ensure accuracy
- Referring patients to the pharmacist when they have questions about their prescription
- Ordering and stocking medications
Miscellaneous Requirements
Other requirements that are usually a part of a pharmacy technician’s job description are:
- Accurate data entry skills
- Strong people skills
- Good oral and written communication skills
- Willingness to be a team player and assist coworkers when necessary
- Flexibility when it comes to work hours
- Excellent time management skills in order to fill prescriptions in a timely manner
- Strong math skills in order to divide by all units of measure
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Work Environment
Pharmacy technicians work in a clean, well-lit environment. They regularly stand on their feet for a long stretch of time and are required to bend, reach overhead, and have the physical strength to move boxes that weigh up to fifty pounds.
How Much do Entry-level Pharmacy Technicians Make?
National Average Salary
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, pharmacy technicians earned an average salary of $30,430 in 2013, though the lowest paid (mostly entry-level technicians) earned $24,320 or less.
Starting Salaries
Like many careers, starting salaries differ by geographical location. For example, entry-level pharmacy technicians in east Tennessee make an hourly wage that ranges between $7 and $9 per hour, while entry-level technicians who work in Nebraska often start at $11.50 an hour.
Other Factors that Influence Salary
Along with location, there are several other factors that determine a pharmacy technician’s salary such as:
Education
Those who complete a pharmacy technician program often earn more than their counterparts who only received on-the-job training. The accrediting body for such programs is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), and most programs are found at community colleges and vocational schools. Courses generally include:
- Anatomy
- Medical Terminology
- Healthcare Systems
- Pharmacy Law and Ethics
- Pharmaceutical Calculations
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
- Pharmacy Keyboarding
- Pharmacy Administration
- Fundamentals of English
- Intervention Management
- Interpretation of Medication Orders
Certification
Obtaining certification (required in certain states) from the Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board can greatly increase salary.
Employer
Usually pharmacy technicians who work in a hospital earn a higher wage than those who work in a retail pharmacy. Pharmacy technicians who work for the federal government or insurance companies generally earn the most.
Experience
Pharmacy technicians who are employed in entry-level positions nationwide earn an hourly wage that ranges between $7 and $13. Eventually, they will have enough experience to earn between $9 and $16 (may be higher in some states) an hour.
Highest Paying States
The states where pharmacy technicians earn the highest salaries are: Alaska, Washington, California, and Hawaii.
Lowest Paying States
The states that pay pharmacy technicians the least are: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.
Job Outlook
The need for pharmacy technicians is on the rise because people are living longer, increasing the need for prescription medication. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job growth is expected to rise twenty percent until 2022, which is faster than the average for most other occupations.
Pharmacy technicians are not the highest paid in the healthcare field, but they still make good money, and most are highly satisfied with their job. If you have any questions, please contact us today.
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