What is a pharmacist technician and how to become one

Key steps to become a pharmacist technician

1. Explore pharmacist technician education requirements

   Most common pharmacist technician degrees

   Bachelor's

   35.4 %

   Associate

   21.3 %

   High School Diploma

   18.4 %

   Show more

2. Start to develop specific pharmacist technician skills

   Skills	Percentages
   Patients	31.65%
   Math	11.54%
   Direct Supervision	5.27%
   HIPAA	4.18%
   Collective Bargaining	3.93%

   Show more

3. Complete relevant pharmacist technician training and internships

   Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New pharmacist technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a pharmacist technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real pharmacist technician resumes.

4. Obtain the necessary licensing

   Becoming a licensed pharmacist technician usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed pharmacist technician in most of states. 38 states require pharmacist technicians to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

   State	Education	Exam	License url
   Alabama	-	-	Licensed Pharmacist Technician
   Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Pharmacist
   Arkansas	Degree required	Both state and third-party exams required	Pharmacist
   California	Degree required	Both state and third-party exams required	Pharmacist, Registered
   Connecticut	Degree required	State exam required	Pharmacist

   Show more

5. Gain additional pharmacist technician certifications

   Pharmacist technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific pharmacist technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

   The most common certifications for pharmacist technicians include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

   More About Certifications

6. Research pharmacist technician duties and responsibilities

   • Manage the OPTIFILL (automation) operations and maintenance of equipment, including the PYXIS medication dispensing machine.
   • Manage assigned pharmacy workstations and tasks while supporting team members in promptly, safely and accurately filling patient prescriptions.
   • Manage inventory; process physician orders; prepare chemotherapy and intravenous medications; support departments in distribution and preparation of medications.
   • Consult with patients as an (CPhT) on their medical usages via written prescription by authorize medical personnel.

7. Prepare your pharmacist technician resume

   When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your pharmacist technician resume.

   You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a pharmacist technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

   Choose from 10+ customizable pharmacist technician resume templates

   Build a professional pharmacist technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your pharmacist technician resume.
   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

   

   Use this template

8. Apply for pharmacist technician jobs

   Now it's time to start searching for a pharmacist technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

   1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
   2. Consult your professional network
   3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
   4. Watch out for job scams